


Takeover

by mbav54



Category: My Babysitter's A Vampire
Genre: M/M, Post-apocalyptic AU, Vampire Hunter AU, missing AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-07
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 02:38:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12289446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mbav54/pseuds/mbav54
Summary: Benny Weir is an average-at-best vampire hunter in a vampire-run Whitechapel. When he meets a strange guy who goes by E, he is intrigued. But E is hiding things. For one, he doesn't want to give his name. The vampires want him dead, and he doesn't seem to know his age. So what other secrets does this E hide?





	1. Chapter 1

If there was anything Benny hated more than vampires, it was being held in the throat by a vampire. Oh, what a wonderful first day outside of his home. Struggling for breath, he slowly reached into his jacket’s pocket and got out his blade.

The vampire backed away, recognizing it as silver, but unlucky for the vampire, Benny wasn’t inexperienced with killing their kind. Before the vampire could run away, he stabbed the creature in the chest, and he turned into ashes.

Benny put his blade back to its hiding spot, and let himself breathe. Oh, he hated vampires so much. Not that any sane human liked them since they’ve taken over this town, but Benny felt a burning sensation whenever he thought of them. Not for any particular reason. It’s just that they sucked. Quite literally.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds, but not for too long. He needed to be aware of his surroundings, and perhaps to be sneakier. His clumsiness almost got him killed. Simply tripping over his loose shoe laces was guaranteed to get vampires’ attention.

Feeling like he was safe, he took the time to look around at the empty street. It was so sad. When he was just five, the town was normal. Humans were in charge. At that time, children would go outside and play, cars would regularly be seen in the streets, and people actually smiled then. Now, people were so scared to get out of the house, except for work and school, and even that was dangerous. Whitechapel, Benny’s home, felt so empty.

At least Benny’s grandma was able to defend herself from vampires. She _was_ the one who taught Benny how to use a blades and stakes. Needless to say, she was awesome. He could leave her alone at home, and she would be fine. But others, sadly, don’t usually make it. Lots of people have been killed by those monsters, and families were ripped apart. On top of that, a huge number of good people were turned into horrible, merciless vampires. What a shame. Humanity was lost.

Benny walked around quietly, afraid there were vampires nearby. To make himself less obvious in the street, he went between buildings and houses, occasionally looking at the main road to check if there was any living, or undead, soul. But mostly, his attention was on the houses. He knew his neighbors fairly well because now, more than ever, they needed each other. Here was the Davids’ house. The father of the family was turned, and because of his insistence to stick to his morals and the vampires’ intolerance of good people, he was killed. Now the mother is struggling to feed the children with her job as a waitress. And here were the Kumars. Only the two eldest daughters were left. They continued to live in this house in fear, praying for this nightmare to end. And the Morgans – they have abandoned their house a long time ago. He didn’t know whether any of them were alive or not. Last time he’s seen them, he was six. They were supposed to have a second child. Did they? Or did they die? The Pecks were also miserable, with one of the guys in the house having turned into a monster, never to return to the home he despised ever again. Everything was so gloomy. So depressing.

Continuing his journey, Benny wanted a place to stay in for the night. He couldn’t stay in a house. And definitely not his. Why? He wanted to destroy the vampires, and if he wanted to do that, he couldn’t be in the most obvious place so he could be hunted down. Finally, he came across an abandoned building in one of the backstreets. If there were beds, or even empty rooms, he was fine. He could just sleep with his head on his backpack if he didn’t have a soft surface to lie on.

He opened the creaky back door, and was met with stale air and cracked wall paint. He walked up the narrow stairs quietly, still worried about the presence of vampires. If they were here, at least he wanted to be prepared enough to fight. He reached the second floor, and had slowly opened the door leading to the main section of the building, but he heard a noise from the inside. His heart started to beat faster, and he reached for his blade, ready to attack if need be. He hesitated, but he walked in with short steps. Please let there be no vampires. He didn’t know where else to go if this place wasn’t safe.

When he took another step, a person suddenly appeared in front of him, a knife sticking to Benny’s throat. They must have come from behind the door. Benny froze for a second, staring at the tip of the stake before realizing what this meant. What kind of vampire would use a stake? No evil one. Mostly humans would do so for self-defense, fear, or protection. He looked at the person who had tried to attack him. Indeed, it seemed like a human. Through the moonlight, he could tell that it was a guy around his age with dark hair, and dark eyes. His skin seemed light, but he couldn’t tell if he was vampire pale or not. And there was a bead of sweat in his forehead. Yeah, he definitely was a human. Though a serious looking one. His eyes were piercing through Benny, studying him, before he lowered the stake. As he went to hide it in his clothes again, he still kept his eyes on Benny, creeping him out a bit. His lips were tight, and he didn’t seem like he had ever smiled in the past few years. Or maybe in his eternity.

“Sorry,” Benny mumbled. Even though he was speaking quietly, the emptiness of the building made his voice sound ten times louder.

The guy looked away, and shook his head. “You’ve got nothing to apologize for. But next time, try not to be so loud when you walk up. I though you might be one of them.”

“I was loud?” Benny asked, just realizing how loud his voice had gotten. “Okay, point taken.” He saw the guy open a door, and was going to step inside the room, when Benny introduced himself, saying, “I’m Benny, by the way.”

The guy looked at him. “Okay.” He said nothing else, and kept looking at Benny.

What was up with this guy? “No ‘nice to meet you’? Or ‘my name is’ I don’t know, Steve?” Benny asked.

The guy scoffed. “And why would it be nice to have met you? That was a horrible encounter. Plus, I don’t want to give out my name to anyone. But here’s a hint: it’s not Steve.”

Benny couldn’t believe this guy. He didn’t even have to courtesy to at least say something nice. But whatever. He wasn’t the one responsible for the guy’s manners. He was concerned about the last part of his statement, about the name. “And why not?” he asked.

The guy smiled in amusement. Oh, so he did smile. At least he had emotions. “For a guy I just met, you ask a lot of questions.” The smile was off his face in a few seconds. He met Benny’s eyes, and said, “The vampires want me dead. If they ever ask you about having met me, at least you won’t be able to answer with lies since you don’t technically know my name.” Oh, yeah. Benny almost forgot that vampires have the ability to sense pulses and heart rates, which meant they could tell if someone was lying.

Most importantly, they wanted this guy dead? Not a surprise. Benny himself wanted to kill him. “At least give me a nickname to call you,” Benny said, kind of sick of this dude by now.

The guy thought about it before finally saying, “Call me _E_.”

* * *

Benny was glad he chose this place. It seemed to be a hotel, and old hotel, but not very old. The room he was in, which was a broken lock, had beds, a desk, an old, small refrigerator that didn’t work because of the lack of electricity, and a few other stuff. He took out his smartphone, and used the flashlight to look around. The place was definitely rotting away, but it was fine. This was better than nothing. Problem was, he needed his phone to talk to his grandma, but he didn’t know how frequently he was going to get power, so his battery might run out of juice. But as of now, he didn’t have any source of electricity, so he sent his grandma a text message telling her briefly about his situation, and she seemed relieved he was fine. Now he could save his battery life a bit since he didn’t need to update his grandmother. Another thing he was happy with was that least vampires had no control over technology. They didn’t own the world. Yet.

There was a knock on the door. “Come in!” said Benny.

E entered the room. There was something in his hand, but Benny couldn’t tell what it was in this darkness. “You have a phone?” E asked.

“You don’t?” Benny asked.

He could see E shaking his head. “I’m homeless. I don’t own anything.” Oh. Benny felt bad all of a sudden. It was just that the guy didn’t seem homeless. He looked clean, and his clothes were fine. Yet again, he shouldn’t generalize how homeless people should look. “Anyway, screw the sob story. Do you have food?”

Benny looked at his backpack. He had _some_ sort of food. But they weren’t really enough sources of nutrition. “Ummm, a bit,” he said.

“Well,” E said, coming closer to the bed. “I got burgers.”

“What?” Benny asked. “How’d you get burgers?”

“I went to the back of a fast food restaurant and stole two,” he casually said.

“You stole them?” Benny asked in shock. “I don’t want them.”

“I guess I’ll have them both,” E said. “Oh, don’t give me that look! I can see your disapproval even through this darkness.” He gave Benny the burger nonetheless, and stepped away. “I have to steal, okay? I’ll starve if I don’t.”

“There are other ways to do this,” Benny said.

E chuckled. “Okay, then. Tell me those ways. Because I can’t find any. I try to be nice to people so I can be fed, but they either stay away from me, afraid of they’ll get involved with what I do, or they’re either killed for _conspiring_ with me, as the vamps put it. I can’t get a job. I don’t have an ID, or any documents on hand. Please tell me how I can get fed, o wise Benny.”

Benny didn’t know how to reply. Maybe he was being too rude to E. He didn’t know how things worked in the street. “Sorry,” Benny said. “I didn’t mean anything by that.”

E said nothing, and got out of the room, closing the door behind. Oh, Benny did not want to paint a target on his back when it came to E. He made a mistake, a horrible mistake. And he felt like an asshole because of it. He stared at the burger, which was still warm, and decided eating it was best. He wanted to thank E, but he guessed things wouldn’t go well if he even decided to see E’s face tonight.

* * *

In the morning, Benny woke up feeling like shit. Not just because of what he did to the poor guy, but also because he didn’t get enough sleep. Yes, blame him for thinking about himself, but if anything, he was going to be forever around himself, and not E. He should start taking care of himself more.

He got up, and the first thing that he saw was his reflection in the mirror. He looked like shit, too. He fixed his hair, and had wanted to wash his face, but in a few seconds, not surprisingly, he discovered that the bathroom had no water. Great. Benny took out his protein bar, and ate it for breakfast. He drank his water, but only managed to get a bit of it. He was out of water. At least he had money, so he could get a few bottles from the tiny markets around the corner.

He got up, took his backpack, and headed out of the room. He saw E doing the same, so without wanting to, he had looked at the guy for a brief moment. In the brightness of the day, he could see the guy’s features well. His hair and eyes were brown. He seemed skinny. Very skinny. He _was_ pale, but not vampire pale. At the same time, he didn’t seem that unhealthy, perhaps merely malnourished.

And he was, admittedly, beautiful. But Benny wasn’t about to say that. He didn’t have any doubt that E would kill him if he wanted to.

The two left the building without another word, and parted ways. He hoped E would get some kind of aid. Especially since he said that vampires wanted to kill him. Maybe he should go help him. He had money, and he could fight off vampires, too.

He started walking towards the direction E had headed, but again, he realized how stupid and loud he was because in an instant, two vampires were on him. One was holding him against the wall, and the other was smirking at him. Oh, he forgot that vampires didn’t get burned in the sun. They just got irritated.

The female who was smirking said, “This is a healthy one.” She crossed her arms. “You’d be a great addition to us.” She winked at him.

He just tightened his lips before saying, “Fuck off.”

She chuckled. “Cute,” she said. He tried to reach for his weapons, but his hands being pinned against the wall left him with no way of getting anything. Was this how he was going to die? Or worse, get turned? The vampire bared her fangs at him, and she grew nearer.

Benny did not want to see this happen, so he closed his eyes, waiting for this to be over. And it _was_ over soon, because nothing happened. His arms were let go of, and he opened his eyes. He saw a pile of ashes with the male vampire who had held him stepping back, his eyes wide. E was standing there, the stake in his hand barely close to the vampire. “Do you _really_ want to mess with me?” E asked.

The vampire started to step back, and shook his head. The he was off in the blink of an eye. E put his stake away, and looked at Benny with a stern look on his face. “Stop being so careless.” He shook his head. “I swear to God, you would die in three seconds if you were left alone.”

Benny blinked once, and then twice. He couldn’t believe what just happened. “W-Why are they afraid of you so much?” he asked.

E just continued walking. “Come with me. I don’t think you’d want to die, do you?” he asked in a low voice.

“Why aren’t you answering my question?” Benny asked, following along, now making sure to be quiet.

E just looked at Benny, a smile forming in his face. “I’m their worst nightmare.”

Despite Benny’s constant stream of questions, E answered none of them, and just walked with a stone face. Benny sighed, giving up at this point.

But he did quite enjoy E’s company. And that day, it might have been the most exciting in his life. After getting some food from a tiny shop nearby, Benny and E had eaten, had a small, meaningless chat, and went on to find some vampires. E had taught Benny so much about vampire hunting, and how he did it.

Frankly, E might be a bit too straightforward, but his personality was great. On top of that, he was merciful. He would only kill vampires that attacked him, aware of the presence of kind ones out there.

And E was efficient in his kills. His reflexes weren’t perfect, but they were beyond what Benny had. And he knew how to handle a knife properly. It was so amazing watching him swing it at the vampires.

At the end of the day, they had found a small place to stay in. Benny lied down, looking at E who was too busy taking off his jacket to make a pillow out of it, and Benny smiled. He looked so innocent and soft at the moment, unlike how harsh and brutal he was out there. It was … strange.

E looked at Benny, frowning. “Why are you looking at me?” he asked, confused.

Benny shook his head. “It’s nothing.”

E seemed satisfied with the answer, which was also strange. No one was ever satisfied with the answer ‘it’s nothing’. E was certainly a weird person.

“How did you learn how to fight? Vampires, I mean,” Benny asked.

E turned towards him, the jacket pillow seeming to cause some trouble for him. “I learned.”

“From someone?” he asked.

E shook his head. “Myself. I’ve been practically doing this my whole life.” Wow. Was life for him really that brutal? That he had to learn by himself this whole time?

Benny bit his lower lip, and looked at E with concern. “How old are you?” He mostly asked this because he was concerned about how many years he had to fight off these beasts. Because Benny himself was twenty-one, but he hadn’t faced what E had, apparently.

E shrugged. “Heck would I know,” he said.

Again, wow. At least Benny was lucky enough to have known his parents, to live with his grandmother in a nice home, and to at least continue high school despite all the fear they were living in.

“I could be in my twenties, I could be a teenager,” E continued. “I don’t really care. I just wanna kill Jesse Black.”

Benny raised an eyebrow. Jesse Black was the leader of the vampires in this town, and he was the one that made this whole vampire takeover a thing. Besides that, he was also the strongest and most feared vampire in Whitechapel. “You’re crazy.”

E chuckled. “I’ve scared him before. I can do much worse to him.” He did? Huh. There was much more to E than he was letting on. “Go to sleep,” the other guy said. “We have long days ahead. I need to teach you how to be less stupid.”

“Hey!” Benny said, pouting. E just smiled, and turned his back to Benny. There was no ‘goodnight’ said, though. They both knew there was no such thing in a world like this.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Welcome all! I am glad you guys are enjoying yourselves so far.   
> I have plans for this fanfic, though they are not well thought-out. I’ll have to wing it in some chapters, like this one. I do, however, know how this fanfic will head later on, and I have some idea on how to end it. So, endure me for now. I’ve no idea how I’m gonna tie things together in this chapter. Let’s try.  
> Also, quick note, I am not sponsored by McDonald’s. XD I actually hate it, sue me, but because of the mention of the company, this disclaimer needs to be said. I’m not risking shit.  
> Anyway, here we go!

Every day was an adventure for Benny. Today, he was being shown where E usually went to shower so he could get rid of the body odors. He didn’t think E would care about such a thing, but apparently he regarded it as important since the vampires were hunting him down, and their noses might not pick up his scent as easily with the presence of soap. Yeah, yeah. Detailed speak on how showering worked. Benny got it.

That didn’t matter, anyway. There was something else that concerned him, and so he tried asking about the “vampires hunting E” part, but he was just given a neutral look, and E walked away. Rude. But okay, Benny should shut up more. He got the message. E wasn’t going to answer any personal questions. The only questions he’s ever answered were hunting-related ones, anyway.

“Okay, we’re here,” E said. Surprisingly, the building they were entering didn’t look abandoned like most places they had visited. And it made sense because an abandoned place probably didn’t have water. E had opened the back door, and was met with a surprised blond guy who calmed down once he saw who had entered.

“Oh, hi!” the male exclaimed.

“Shhh!” E whispered. “Are you trying to get me caught?”

The man looked ashamed, and it was almost comical if it wasn’t for the feeling of urgency and rush Benny had these days. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to.” He looked at Benny, and the brunet felt something strange. This guy felt unnaturally pale. What else was there? Something felt off. “Who’s he? A new friend! Oh, my gosh! Finally, you make a friend!”

E raised an eyebrow. “You’re my friend, too, Rory,” he said. “Also, again, you’re too loud.”

“I’m your friend?” The man, apparently called Rory said. “Oh, good.”

E shook his head, looking frustrated, and said, “This is Benny. Guess what, he’s an idiot like you!”

Rory didn’t care about what E said and offered his hand to Benny. When he took it, Benny immediately felt the coldness, and his mind immediately went to attack mode when he realized that Rory was a vampire. His hand went to his stake, but before he could even take it out, E had held a hand out to stop Benny. Okay, E had fast reflexes. Probably the hunting was coming to his aid at the moment.

“Relax,” E said in a tired voice. “He’s a friendly vampire. Everyone here knows what he is, but they love him. He’s a good guy.”

Benny didn’t know why, but he trusted what E said. He released of the weapon, and let out a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding. “Yeah, okay. Sorry, dude.”

“No problem,” Rory said, and grinned as if nothing had happened. “You’re probably tired. Steaming water will make you feel better. Come. I’ll get you to the private showers.”

Benny looked around as he followed closely behind the vampire and the hunter. The place was dimly lit, which he wasn’t surprised about since they were apparently heading to the private showers. And this area – it seemed to be a but close to the emergency exit. Huh. He had a view of what rooms were ahead, but it seemed that only this section was badly maintained despite it hugeness. There were cracks on the wall, and there wasn’t any attempt to hide the rusty pipes on the roof. Still, other than that, the place seemed to be fairly well-maintained. There were a few boxes that were opened, but Benny couldn’t tell what their content was. “What is this place, anyway?” he asked, as they neared a staircase.

“Oh, it’s the gym, my workplace. And this room is basically where I unload the new equipment. I take care of the manual work since, you know, I have vampire strength. The lady who owns this gym is sweet. She’s scared to let me lift all the machines,” Rory answered, cheerful as ever.

“Yeah, ‘cause you’re clumsy and you break things,” E said.

“Not with my ninja reflexes! I catch things before they fall!” Rory said defensively.

E didn’t seem to care about that comment, and headed upstairs and to a room with Rory that contained four shower stalls. They were bigger than Benny expected. E motioned for Rory to give him something, and in the blink of an eye, the vampire was gone. As soon as he had gone, he came back with a pile of folded clothes. “Sorry. I forgot them.”

“Obviously,” E muttered, and headed to one of the showers.

Rory frowned, but he quickly snapped out of it, which kind of seemed off until he explained it to Benny. “A truck just came. It’s probably the food delivery. I gotta go.” Rory was off, and Benny guessed he should show himself to the one of the stalls.

This was probably a place E frequented for a reason. The big space in each shower gave enough place to wash up while putting your items in a corner while not worrying about them getting wet. That was cool. It wasn’t a fancy place, but it was nice enough. He heard the water running from his left, which made him realize that he should probably start showering as well. And it felt good when he did. His body hadn’t been feeling this fresh in a while. He wanted to remain like this forever, but he knew he had a mission to complete, and that was to get revenge on the vampires for all the chaos they had caused.

With that thought in mind, Benny finished putting on his new clothes so he could head outside. As he took his backpack from the hook on the door, he realized that he didn’t hear any water splashing from the other stall anymore. E must be already done. And indeed, he was. When Benny had gotten out of the shower, E was waiting impatiently, his hair partially wet. “You’re gonna weigh me down. Pick up the pace, will you?” he said, walking away already.

“Okay! Jesus, you’re brutal,” Benny said, and ran to catch up to E. “I’m still not used to how you live. Cut me some slack, will you?” Benny said.

E looked confused. “But why would I?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. It was as if Benny was saying something so strange and out of this world.

“Because that’s how decent human beings act like!” Benny pointed out.

E put a finger on his lips. “Get us caught, and I’ll kill you myself, got it?” Speaking too loud was his fault, but still!

Benny shook his head. E didn’t want to listen to him, anyway. He still wanted to try to talk to him, though. Benny opened his mouth to add something to the conversation, but he noticed Rory carrying a way too big box with ease, and walking to the big, empty room. “Oh, you guys are done?” he asked. “Sweet.” He put the box down carefully, and took E’s hand. Benny was curious about what was happening, but it was because it took him a while to notice Rory offering his hand for Benny as well. “Oh, yeah. This might be your first time, but I’ll use my speed to get you out of here. We don’t want the delivery guys to see you. Between us, there are like two vampires among them. None of them like E.”

Benny was hesitant, but he grabbed Rory’s hand, and before he realized it, he was in an alley.

The moment he was standing on the ground, he felt instant regret. Oh, he wanted to puke. He felt so sick. He’s never moved with such a speed before. When Rory let go of his hand, he couldn’t hold back and let go of his stomach’s content. Oh, gross. At least it all went to the ground, and not his clothes and shoes. That would’ve been horrible to rinse out. Plus, he just showered!

He felt someone slowly put a hand on his shoulder slowly. “It’s okay. This happened to E the first time, too. Your stomachs are weak, I swear. Glad I’m not human anymore.” Benny tried to stand up properly, but he felt so dizzy. Oh, this was a mistake.

“I hate my life,” he muttered, holding on to his stomach.

There was silence from the other two guys, but then he heard Rory say, “Oh, yeah. The truck. Gotta go. Good luck, guys!” Benny wiped his mouth, and looked for the blond, but he was already gone.

If Benny wasn’t already feeling nauseous, E was going to make him so. He had pulled Benny away by his hand, and said, “We’ve already wasted so much time. Let’s go.”

“Wait, wait! I don’t think I can keep up with you like this,” he reached into his bag to look for some napkins. He found one, thankfully, and soaked it in water to wipe himself a bit. “You can go on without me. I can handle this.”

“No, you’ll die without my help. Face it, you need me,” E said.

“Seriously, I’ll just burden you at this point-”

“Listen,” E said, startling Benny, “I know I lack in attitude and behavior. I’m not the kindest and best person you’ll ever meet, but I’m not heartless.” He put his hands in his pockets, and looked at Benny in the eyes. This might be the first time the guy was genuine to Benny. “I’ll claim that I want to kill Jesse Black and help the people of Whitechapel, but if I can’t help one person, I might as well be a … hypo- hypocr- two-faced.”

Despite the serious air between them, Benny couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. He forgot this guy was homeless, which was strange since Benny had been living with E and getting to know his environment for three days so far. He was probably uneducated as well, for most of his life. “It’s hypocrite, if you’re wondering.”

E didn’t say a word for a few seconds, but he eventually nodded, a hint of gratefulness on his face, but it was subtle. “Okay, then. Can we leave now?”

Benny nodded. “All right. Again, asshole, go easy on me.” He started walking with E, who just smiled, and then ran, making Benny sigh. Here he goes again.

* * *

“So why not use silver bullets if they’re more effective?” Benny asked.

“Do you know how expensive that shit is? Forget buying it. I barely find coins these days to get me food. I can’t even steal it. No one really makes them in Whitechapel,” E said, seemingly frustrated. “Plus, if I can’t get one myself, I’d need a guy to do that. As you can see, I hate talking to people, so there’s problem number two.”

“Oh, look! He can count to two!” Benny teased, a stupid grin on his face.

“Watch it,” E warned. “Don’t make fun of me. Believe it or not, I actually completed first grade.”

“So, you went to school?” Benny asked, finding the information fascinating.

E clenched his teeth, and Benny was afraid he wouldn’t get an answer, but surprisingly, E spoke. “Oh, I already said it. Yeah, I went to school.” Again, E’s expressions were very subtle, but Benny had gotten to know a few of them. At the moment, E seemed sadder than he usually was.

“Do you ever wish you had a normal childhood?” Benny asked, knowing the question was stupid. Everyone wants to have fun as a kid, so why wouldn’t E?

“See, I had a half-normal childhood. It’s not like I was missing out.” _Half-normal_? Benny was curious about what that meant, and wanted to take advantage of E finally opening up a bit, but he knew it was pointless to get any information. So far, every answer he got was vague and phrased weirdly. Even if he argued against that, it seemed that E had had enough because he muttered, “I’m not answering any more questions.”

And that was it. Benny looked at the sky. It was getting darker right now, and his stomach was begging for food. He was grateful his grandmother had provided food for him, and he was also grateful he had part-time jobs before. The money, as he estimated, would last him a month at this rate. He could always return home, too, if he made it out alive.

He wanted to suggest getting food, but oh-so-conveniently, a few steps ahead, Benny and E found themselves facing three vampires who looked hungry for blood. Oh, he hated their nightly attacks. Reaching for his stake, Benny tried to be as quick as E had taught him to be, but he knew that he was going to be bad at this. Quick he tried to be, but his aim was so off. He missed the vampire by a few centimeters. He definitely needed more training.

“Who’s he? A new friend?” the tallest vampire had said. He laughed. “More meat for us to hunt.”

E smirked. “So, Jesse sent you to get me?” he asked. The vampires seemed on edge now. How famous was he amongst their kind? “Hasn’t he already sent his best? And haven’t I already killed them? This is gonna be a piece of cake.”

“Oh, yeah?” said the one in the middle. “We’ll see about that.”

It didn’t take much from E to kill one of them. A swing of a stake, and one of them was ashes. “Confidence can be a curse. Don’t think so low of me.”

He could see the vampire attacking while E tried his best to kill him. Benny, meanwhile, took care of the other one. He struggled, true, but when he tried to follow E’s hunting lessons, he found that his task was much easier now. He grinned in victory, but when he looked at E, he saw, for the first time, the male actually _fighting_ to stay alive. The vampire had knocked him down, and E seemed to have a painful time trying to get up. The vampire was so close to E, so close to touching him and doing whatever he wanted to do, maybe kill or capture him, but Benny wouldn’t let that happen. He took his knife and swung it while the creature wasn’t paying attention to him. With that, the vampire was gone.

He breathed out in relief. Another group of vampires gone. But E seemed frozen, looking down with wide eyes. His jeans had a red stain where the knee was, and it was growing. E was bleeding.

“No, no, no, no! This can’t happen!” E exclaimed, for once not caring about whether vampires heard him or not. Thankfully, none showed up.

“E, it’s okay,” he said simply. “We can get your knee wrapped up.”

E grabbed Benny by the collar. “You don’t get it, do you?” he asked. He seemed like he was about to break down and lose his mind. He tried to stand up, but he seemed unstable, so Benny helped him out. “If my blood gets onto the pavement, or on anything, I’m screwed. They’ll be able to hunt me down.” He seemed to be trying to control his breathing, but he wasn’t succeeding. He was too shaken.

“E, come on. I have some bandages. It’s no big deal,” Benny said, and started walking him to any building he could find so that he can aid him with ease, and out of the sight and limits of vampires. Thankfully, E complied and came along, but he still didn’t seem happy.

“No big deal?” E said, chuckling. “Yeah, try saying that when every vampire recognizes the smell of your blood.”

Benny sighed. “Okay, fine. It’s bad. Can we go somewhere now?” he asked, and E closed his mouth, and nodded. For the second time today, Benny wondered what E meant, but he didn’t ask anything. E was a private person, and he knew it was for a good reason.

Thankfully, Benny found a place that wasn’t too far away. It also seemed abandoned. Perfect.

The perks of living in a dead town was that many businesses were forgotten, many families had left, and no one was outside. They can get into plenty of places where no humans live anymore, and hide where no one can let vampires in.

Benny sat E down on the corner in the floor, and took out the first aid items that he had brought in his backpack. Good thing his grandmother was thorough when packing necessities for him. He looked at the steps on the booklet since he really wasn’t an expert when it came to injuries, and started doing what he was instructed to do to E’s wound. It wasn’t a big injury, but he understood E’s concern.

Every once in a while, Benny wouldn’t be able to help himself, and he’d look at E. He seemed so defeated, for some reason. Benny almost felt bad, but he knew he’d done nothing wrong. Still, he was sympathetic. “Does it hurt?” he asked.

E shook his head. “Not much.” He wrapped his arms around himself. “I need to wash these pants, or to get new ones.”

Oh, yeah. There was that, too. When he started to wrap E’s knee, he said, “I don’t think the water bill’s been paid in a while, so I guess we should get new ones and burn this pair.”

“The … water bill?” E asked.

Benny smiled. He kept forgetting that some terms might not be familiar to E. “Oh, it’s what you pay every month so that you can use water. It’s cut off if you don’t pay the bill.”

“Oh,” E said. “Is it the same with electricity?” The curiosity on E’s face was so … fascinating. He did seem like he was the kind of person who liked learning new things. Or at least he liked to not be out of the loop anymore.

“Yep,” Benny said. E nodded, satisfied with the answer. Benny, again and probably not the last time, found himself wanting to know more about E, but it was useless to wish for such a thing because it would never happen unless E slipped up like today.

For the remainder of the process, the two men were silent. E had closed his eyes, and let his head rest on the wall. He’d open his eyes every once in a while, which made Benny look at him involuntarily, but E would turn away quickly.

“You okay?” Benny asked.

“I mean,” E said, “I might get hunted by vampires, so I’m feeling great.”

Benny shook his head. That sassy son of a bitch. “I mean are you okay? Because you keep looking at me.”

E said nothing for a while, and Benny felt like he had made a mistake bringing this up, but eventually, he got an answer. Benny noticed that silence from E was a reoccurring theme. “I’m not used to being this close to someone. If you haven’t noticed, I don’t have many friends. It’s awkward for me.”

Okay, so he hated being close to people. Perhaps emotionally, too, as Benny had observed. It was hard being around E, true, but Benny felt like he could do it. He had to do it. For survival. Yeah. “Well, you’ll be happy to know I’m almost done.” The concept was so new to him – being awkward with physical touch. Maybe it was because Benny was privileged enough to live in a loving home. He had to remind himself that this guy was homeless, and he probably went through some shit. With those thoughts lingering, Benny wrapped E’s legs, and then stood up. He grabbed his backpack, and took a step.

“Wait, where are you going?” E asked. Oh, right. Benny forgot to explain himself.

“I’m gonna get you something new to wear, and I’m hungry. I’ll find the nearest McDonald’s or something.”

“Ew, that is disgusting,” E said.

“What, McDonald’s? I like it!” Benny defended.

E looked away from him. “Whatever. Get me the nuggets, at least.”

Benny chuckled. “Okay.” He opened the door to the building, but he realized something. “Question: what size pants do you wear?”

E shrugged. “I don’t know. Rory says he buys the smallest size there is. I’m pretty skinny.”

“Got it,” Benny said, and he was off. He had to be careful, though, if he wanted to make it back.

* * *

Hiding your identity wasn’t easy, as Ethan had noticed. He thought he could do it, but he was starting to doubt himself as the seconds passed. The worst issue he had to face was remembering that he referred to himself as E in front of Benny. He was definitely not used to the nickname. Plus, anyone who knew him might just blurt out his name. But this was necessary for Benny’s sake. He was an innocent guy who shouldn’t get caught up in Ethan’s troubles, yet he did.

Ethan didn’t want Benny to know any piece of his past, or any personal information so he wouldn’t have to lie about it in front of the vampires. But why did Ethan have to be so stupid? Why did he slip information that he shouldn’t have? He wanted to punch himself.

He looked down at his leg and his small wound, and then at the dark, empty place. He couldn’t help but remember his first days of being homeless. He was a little boy, who was scared of the darkness and the monsters in it. He didn’t have his mother to scare them away. He didn’t have anyone in his life anymore. He was lonely. And at the moment, he felt like a little child again. He always did. He didn’t know how he fought off the monsters, but he did. It was just so surprising because half of the time, Ethan didn’t think he knew what he was doing. Given, he was learning every day how to fight better, and how to live efficiently, but it was hard. He knew he was old enough to be able to live fine by himself, but he still wished he had his mother.

His mother. He forgot how she looked like over the years. She was a blonde, but how did her face look like? Were her eyes brown or blue? Was she still alive? Was she human? And his father, who had brown hair. He was physically stronger, so is he alive, as well? Or was he doomed? And his younger sibling, who he didn’t remember if it was supposed to be a girl or a boy – he hoped he or she was born. Or not. No one deserved to live in this cruel world.

He lied down, soon forgetting about his family. It was getting hard to remember anything about them. It was easier to remember people who were in his life now. Like Benny, who was always curious about Ethan, but mostly concerned. It was funny to see him behave this way, but he understood why. To any normal person, Ethan was very pale in comparison, and very thin. He didn’t eat well, and he barely looked like he could survive. It was a miracle that he had. And it would be one if Benny could survive, as well.

At the moment, he hoped Benny was all right. As much as he hated to admit it, he was starting to get attached to that idiot. Maybe he shouldn’t be. He was only trying to protect Benny. But just like any other sympathetic human in his life, Benny might die.

He had waited for the green-eyed male’s arrival for what felt like hours, but he was aware that they were probably a few minutes, and he started to worry at some point, but thank goodness Benny walked into the building. Ethan was relieved, but he didn’t let that show. He had to maintain his cold front. Contrary to popular beliefs, Ethan knew what manners were. He just chose not to have any in front of strangers.

“Hey, I got you your nuggets. And pants. Man, there were so many skinny jeans.” Benny chuckled. “I thought that would look funny on you.”

“You bought skinny jeans?” Ethan asked, about to punch Benny in the face.

“Relax,” Benny said. “I’m not stupid.” E raised his eyebrow. He wasn’t sure about that. “I got you sort of baggy ones. You talk about mobility and shit, so I thought I’d get you something that you’re actually used to moving in. You’re welcome.” He handed the pair over to Ethan, who took them hesitantly, and went to change in a separate room.

Thank goodness this was a small wound, and it would have felt insignificant if it wasn’t for the vampires-hunting-him issue, but Ethan still hated having the injury. As soon as he took off his old pair of pants, he noticed some of the scars on his thighs, and that reminded him of the rest of his injuries on his body. Thank goodness Rory was considerate enough to buy long sleeved shirts, and baggy clothes. Ethan was forever in debt to him. He didn’t want to show his scars, and as Rory put it, Ethan might slightly have “body image issues”, which made him hate the scars. But it really wasn’t a big deal; he just preferred not to highlight how imperfect his body was.

He put on his new pair of pants, which felt good enough, and he headed outside again. Benny had already laid out the food in front of him, and had taken a bite of his burger. His cheeks filled like a chipmunk, and his mouth already covered in ketchup made an amusing scene. But of course, Ethan wasn’t going to smile at Benny’s silly behavior.

“Wow, and you lecture me on manners,” Ethan said, and sat down to eat his nuggets. They were so warm, it was nice. Whitechapel was very cold, so it was pleasant to touch food that wasn’t left out for a few hours. He ate a nugget in one bite, and then another, and another until he found his box empty. He knew he was hungry. He could feel his stomach protesting, wanting more, but he wouldn’t dare speak to Benny about getting more food. He knew best that money was a valuable possession, and Benny needed to use it well, and not on useless garbage like Ethan.

He noticed Benny’s eyes on him. The other male had stopped chewing his cheeseburger since he was too busy pitying Ethan. Ugh. Ethan had always hated that look. It was the look people gave him when they found out he was homeless, or that he didn’t know his parents. He wished Benny would stop looking at him like that, and he wished Benny would stop feeling this way as well.

“You can have my nuggets, too. And fries,” Benny suggested.

Ethan shook his head. He had already eaten his portion of food. It didn’t matter. He sipped on the cola and shook his head. “No, I’m fine.”

Benny pushed his food towards Ethan. “I mean it,” Benny said. “I’m not that hungry. Even if I was, I’d buy more food. It’s the least I can do for you. You saved my life, like what, three hundred times?” He chuckled.

No, Ethan wouldn’t accept this. “It’s yours. I don’t-”

“Hey,” Benny said, grabbing Ethan by the arm. In any other circumstances, Ethan would be on his defense mode, but he was fully aware that Benny, his hunting partner as of now, was the one touching him. He wouldn’t hurt Ethan. He was a nice guy. But Benny, who Ethan didn’t realize how empathetic he was until now, had caught on to how Ethan behaved, and let go. Benny’s face still held the serious yet pitiful expression. “You’ve been living in the streets for who knows how long, and you’re not that well-fed. You literally _need_ this.” He took a breath, looked at the food, then back at Ethan. “Don’t worry about me. For once, be selfish. I can tell you’re hungry.”

“Fine, I’ll eat. But I don’t want you to feel bad about m-”

“Feel bad about you?” Benny asked, as if he wasn’t believing his ears. Okay, maybe Ethan had been reading Benny wrong this whole time. “Are you kidding me?” He bit his lips. “Do you notice all this teasing, harassing, and joking we do together?” Ethan nodded. “We may not be close, but we’re acting just like friends do. I think you should take that as a sign that I don’t feel bad for you, okay?”

Ethan nodded, and accepted the food being offered. He swallowed his piece and replied, saying, “I’d say I’m happy with what you told me, but I’m mad at something.”

“Mad? About what?” Benny asked, genuinely surprised.

“About you fucking interrupting me mid-sentence. You bastard!” He lightly punched Benny, which earned him a laugh. He just smiled and continued eating his food. Halfway through eating, his stomach got full, and he lied down against the wall. “Oh, that was good.”

Benny threw away the waste and put down his backpack to lie down on it. “It was. I hope I converted you to a McDonald’s fan.”

“You wish,” Ethan said, and took his jacket off to make it into a pillow. It was getting cold, unfortunately, which made Ethan shiver slightly despite his long sleeves’ presence. His intolerance to coldness was probably because of the lack of muscles or fat. He really needed to eat more.

“Oh, wait,” Benny said, and reached into his backpack to get something. Another jacket. “Here. Have this. It’s extra. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Ethan didn’t say anything, and took the jacket without complaining. He needed it, anyway. Why protest, right? He put it on. It was so comfortable on the inside, and it had a specific scent to it. An artificial scent. What was the word again? A cologne? Maybe. Whatever it was, the smell was subtle. He lied down, and had intended to say ‘good night’ before changing his mind, and saying, “Thank you.” He wasn’t used to saying it because there weren’t many people he was thankful for, but here he was, saying it to a man he had met a few days ago.

Benny seemed taken aback, but he recovered and said, “No problem.” He gave his famous goofy grin. “So, are we friends now?”

“Don’t try,” Ethan said, and closed his eyes.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Good night, then!”

Ethan shook his head, and turned his back to Benny so he could hide his smile. Benny, for some reason, always found a way to either make Ethan laugh or to make his stomach do weird things. But what did that feeling mean? He didn’t know.

“Night,” he muttered, and let the jacket engulf him as he, for once, felt warmth in the cold winter of Whitechapel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooh! Hell yeah! I did not think I’d go this direction for this chapter. But I won’t rush things, don’t worry. But I just felt it was natural for Ethan to develop feelings without realizing what they were, you know?  
> We’re getting some sort of background information on Ethan, but things won’t be revealed quickly. Nonetheless, this is something to look forward to.  
> But anyway, I hope you guys are excited like I am! I didn’t think I’d enjoy writing this fanfic in its early chapters, but I am! I mostly wanted to write this fanfic because I got excited about later events that would happen in this story, cause like I told you, I have something in mind for this fanfic. I guess it’s just so fun writing the silly conversations, which fit so well in this story.  
> Well, since I’m leaving you guys with this, I guess here’s the routine. Review or comment, depending on the platform, and tell me what you think. I accept constructive criticism with open arms, and am looking for improvements.  
> Until next time!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, again!
> 
> Wow, this story is more of a success than I thought. To me, this plot is pretty okay, but some of you guys seem to really enjoy this. Not gonna complain. I mean, it does get better afterwards. Stay tuned for that.
> 
> Until then, let’s begin.

Two weeks! Benny Weir couldn’t believe it had been two weeks since he had thrown away his life to do something as crazy as to kill vampires. But here he was, surviving thanks to E and his concerning amount of exceeding knowledge of combat with vampires.

You’d think two weeks would be enough to find a crack in E’s shell a little bit and get to know him. Turns out, E still had his guards up. Oh, well. It wasn’t like it mattered much, but their conversations would get pretty boring if E wasn’t in the mood to make fun of Benny.

On the positive side, E seemed to have gained weight. His face was more full, his arms less scrawny, and his movements were more lively and energetic. If Benny died now, at least he’d die happy knowing he made a difference with a homeless, starving guy who had a good heart.

As his thoughts trailed off to food, Benny looked down on the ground to see E snoring a few feet away from him. They both needed some breakfast to get energized for the day. Luckily, they had figured out their breakfast schedule during the first week. Since it was a bit dangerous to go outside during dawn or morning since the streets were empty, mostly, and they could be seen easily, it was better to have packed food for breakfast that was bought ahead of time. Benny looked into his backpack. They had two days’ worth of breakfast, so Benny needed to buy some more today or tomorrow. He should probably check how much cash he had left. He’d use a credit card, but it was easy to track down credit card transactions, and Benny wasn’t risking anything.

Just his luck, he didn’t have much cash. He knew what to do in this case, but he didn’t want to be a burden on E. He should go alone to get more cash. Actually, now that he thought about it, he should bring E along. E would complain at first, but he won’t later. Meanwhile, Benny could get his work done without having to worry if this guy was going to die or not. Probably not, but still! He was too attached to this mess of a person to leave him alone.

Once E lazily got his head up from his jacket-pillow, he blinked once or twice, processing everything around him. “Oh, hi. I got scared for a moment. I forgot I have to wake up to your face. Pretty freaky.”

“Hey, shut up.” He threw the packets of food at Ethan, who sighed and took them despite being tired. “After we eat, get your rude ass off the floor. We’re going to get more money. I’m almost out.”

E took a bite off his granola bar, looking confused, which was kind of funny with his eyes half-closed, and his hair sticking up everywhere. He needed a haircut, Benny thought. “Why can’t we steal? You’re wasting money.”

“That’s not an option when I still have money. I told you. Anyway, you’re coming,” he said in a demanding voice. He learned a thing or two from E other than fighting skills. One of those was to not give shit when he had priorities.

“Whatever. Fine. As long as we don’t go dealing with gangs, I’m good,” E said.

Benny chuckled. “What? Do you have experience?” He peeled his banana, his stomach demanding food.

“When you live in the streets and act like me, you always run into trouble,” E said. At least he admits that his attitude brings problems.

As they ate, Benny tried to get some information about the gang thing, and E would not speak at first, but when he told the story, Benny realized how stupidly obvious the story bits he was telling were, and how E was only going to expose the unimportant parts of his life. Oh, well. Worth a shot.

They soon finished, and Benny started heading outside. He had a little skip in his steps, and he wasn’t ashamed to hide it. “Are you going to kill me? Where are we leaving to?” E impatiently asked. Benny smiled. It was a good thing E was standing behind him, so he couldn’t see Benny’s smile. The shorter guy was such a child sometimes, it was hilarious and kind of refreshing after all this grimness.

“If anyone will kill from the two of us, it’s you. You’ll get so frustrated with me, you’ll just stab me,” he said jokingly. “And … we’re gonna see my grandma. The house is … I don’t know, ten minutes away by foot?”

The footsteps behind him stopped, and he turned around to an E refusing to walk. “No, we’re not going there. I mean, you can, but I won’t.”

“What? Why not? My grandma will take care of you and me for the time we’re there. She’s really nice. I swear,” Benny said, trying his best to convince E to come.

“I bet she is, which is why I’m not going,” E said, stepping back. “Good luck, I guess. Take c-”

“Wait. Stop. You’re not leaving,” Benny said. “Not without an explanation. Even then I won’t let you leave.” He came towards E, a bit of concern showing on his face despite him wanting to be a bit more stern. “Can you tell me why?”

E gritted his teeth, silent for a few seconds. This was how most conversations went. Benny asked a few questions, and E took a while to answer. It was okay, though. Benny learned to let E be comfortable by waiting rather than yelling for him to respond. “She’ll die. You’ll die. They’ll come and find me, and they’ll kill both of you. I can’t let this happen again.”

Again? What did he mean again? Did this happen before? Benny put his hand on E’s shoulder, and looked him in the eyes. “I know you’re worried about that, and your heart’s in the right place. You care for people a lot, but just this once, let someone look out for you. If there’s anyone who can do it, it’s my grandma.” He smiled, thinking about her. Oh, how he missed her in the past days. “You know, she’s the one who gave me my weapons, and taught me about vampires. She’s pretty badass.”

E didn’t say anything, again. He looked down at the floor, biting his lips. “I don’t know. I don’t wanna bother her.”

“Are you kidding me? She loves it when people come over. It doesn’t happen that often anymore cause, you know, people are gone now, so she’ll be thrilled,” he said.

“You sure?” E asked. He seemed to be giving in, which made Benny secretly excited.

“Pretty sure.”

A few seconds, then a nod came. “Okay. But if vampires come, then I told you so.”

Benny chuckled. “Okay.”

They took the ten minute, which actually turned out to be twelve minutes, walk silently. They were a bit careful about their surroundings. There could be vampires around for all they knew. Soon they reached the street of the neighborhood. Actually, they went behind the houses as not to be seen in open space, and once again, Benny heard the footsteps stops, and he turned around. E was just turning his head around, pretending like nothing happened. Benny squinted his eyes at him.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” E replied. Benny was not convinced and it showed on his face. “It’s just that the place is empty. I remember going to school as a kid and passing by and the place was usually filled with people. Is everyone … dead here?”

Benny shook his head. “Some are, but there are families who ran away, some who had family members turned so they’re scared to leave the house, some are hiding now, and some moved to different towns, countries even.” He looked around. Truly, this place used to be so alive. The world was so bleak now. “Why? Did you use to live here?”

“I said I used to pass by. Do you have hearing problems or something?” E said, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Oh, damn! Don’t insult me when we reached the house,” Benny said.

“We’re here?” E asked.

“Yep,” Benny said, running towards the back door of the house. He reached for his backpack to get the keys out, and unlocked the door. The sweet smell of home instantly made him feel warm, and the familiar chef toy greeted him from the counter in the hallway.

“Benny?” His grandma! It felt so nice to hear her voice.

He closed the door behind E, who looked uncomfortable. “Grandma! It’s me! I’m back!” he said, not being able to wait to see his grandma. She was probably scared before he spoke, thinking someone broke in. He didn’t even tell her he was coming.

When he saw her, he ran to hug her. “You didn’t text me this morning. I thought you were gone,” she said. “Or that your battery died. I was so worried.” She let go, and she noticed E standing behind, looking at his shoes. “Oh, hello, dear.” She looked at Benny. “Is this that E boy you’ve been texting me about?”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry. Forgot to mention he’s with me. Yeah. That’s E,” he said. E looked at Mrs. Weir, appearing a bit unsure on how to behave.

“Um, hi,” he mumbled.

“Hi, it’s so good to see you in person. Benny’s told me a lot about you. Mostly bad things, but he’s a liar, anyway. I don’t trust him,” she said, which made E chuckle.

“Hey! Is an alliance against me happening?” he asked.

“Yes, Benny. Now sit down. I’m making some tea for both of you,” she said, taking E’s hand to lead him to the couch in the living room. “Your hands are so cold. We need to get you warm. Benny, dear, get him a blanket.”

“It’s okay. I don’t need anyth-”

E was interrupted by Benny’s very stubborn grandmother. “Nonsense. Benny, up!”

“Yes, ma’am!” he said, and hurried upstairs to get the blanket. He came back downstairs to E and gave the thick pile to him. His hands touched E’s, and they were, in fact, cold. Why didn’t E say anything? Benny felt so bad now.

Evelyn came to the living room with two mugs of tea. One was Benny’s favorite, mint tea, and the other was normal black tea. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I put black tea. If you’d like anything else, I probably have it.”

E took the mug, still looking awkward and embarrassed. “Thanks. I really haven’t tried tea, actually, so I don’t know what I like.”

“Oh, all right. Enjoy the tea.” Evelyn switch to talking to Benny, demanding that he turned on the TV, and that he takes care of E more, and feeds him, and all that crap. To be honest, Benny zoned out in the middle of it. He was tired. Happy, but tired.

Benny noticed his grandmother lingering a little bit before leaving the living room. Yes, he missed her, too. He took a sip from his tea, and looked at Ethan who was just staring at his mug. “You’re being very weird. Like, actually _nice_. Do you have a fever? Are you okay?”

Ethan gave Benny side-eyes, then he went back to having the staring competition again with his beverage. “If you want me to dump this tea on your head, keep talking.”

“Ah, there he is,” Benny said.

The rest of the time spent in the living room was silent, and Benny, after they had finished drinking their hot beverages, felt like Ethan needed a more private place than this. They were so used to being together, alone, that having someone else with them was … strange.

Benny motioned for the shorter boy to follow him upstairs, which he did silently. Oh, thank goodness. He wasn’t hearing E’s sass for once. Benny led E to the room, and closed the door behind. “Sorry it’s a mess,” he said. He wasn’t actually sorry. Sure, he had a few things strewn around, but he liked it this way. “Was not in the mood to clean before I left and still am not.”

E chuckled. “Sounds like you,” he said.

It seemed like a strange concept – E knowing Benny enough to say such a thing. Two weeks seemed like a short time to get to know each other, but now that he thought about it, they _did_ spend their weeks together the whole time. They slept horrifying nights together, and they killed bloodsuckers shoulder-by-shoulder. And even though E was a mysterious guy, it didn’t mean Benny didn’t know him at all. It’s just that he didn’t know his past. His personality was out in the open, though. He was aggressive in his attitude, and a bit too snarky, but he was kind as well, humble, and unique. His personality was beautiful.

As were most people’s, Benny thought, trying to get that thought out of his head. “Anyway, make yourself at home. Or, um, just make yourself comfortable.”

E chose the bed to sit on, which left Benny the chair. Oh, how he missed his room for the last two weeks. Yeah, two weeks wasn’t much, but it was enough to make him realize how blessed he was in his own house.

“Your room’s nice. Very cozy. Been a while since I’ve seen a non-abandoned house,” E said.

Benny raised his eyebrows. “How long?” Maybe this could give him a hint as to how long he had led a life like this.

“Don’t push it,” Ethan said, and then lied down on the bed, signaling that this conversation was leading nowhere.

Benny got it. So he went on to look for where he put his money.

He really didn’t care right now about what happened. He experienced this regularly, and he chose to ignore it and move on. This really depended on how ready E was to share information, and if this wasn’t the time, so be it.

“I’m sorry.” Benny must be going insane. Did E just apologize? Or was this leading to ‘sorry you suck at everything you do’ or ‘sorry you look so ugly’ kind of sentence? Cause if so, Benny wouldn’t be surprised. “I’m not trying to be mean. I know it seems like it.” Benny turned his chair around to look at E, who was sitting on the bed now. Benny was not expecting this from E out of all people. “I know, not the time to open up when I’m scared out of my mind that a vampire will suddenly show up and kill everyone here. Still, I don’t want you to think I’m doing this to scare you away. Maybe I was at first, but it became a habit, I guess.”

“It’s okay. I get it,” Benny said, not really wanting E to be uncomfortable. “Anyway, don’t they say that you know you truly have a friend when they’re mean to you?”

“I mean, I don’t hear that much in the streets, but I guess it’s true? I mean, I don’t consider you a friend. More like my mortal enemy,” he said jokingly at the end.

“Oh, really? Wow, I beat vampires at something, finally,” Benny said with a grin that was mirrored by E. The moment following it was silent, but it was nice. Their lives were so fast-paced that they needed this time to breathe a little bit. Benny bit his lower lip, realizing how horrible E’s concerns were. How many times had E been in a situation like this, taken into a house only to have the members in it killed by vampires? “Are you okay, E? Like with you staying here for a bit?”

E contemplated about this, then shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m kind of on edge, but as long as I don’t stay here for too much, I’m fine.”

Benny nodded. “Okay, but once you feel uncomfortable, tell me.” E agreed to that, and the conversation was over. And so, Benny looked through his long-neglected bag that he had stuffed in the closet. One stack of cash was in there, which was good enough. The other stacks were in various other places. In case of a robbery, which was very common these days in Whitechapel, at least, one, the robber would feel bad because Benny’s room was a mess, and two, hiding cash in one pile was a _bad_ idea. Not that he had much, but it was all he had. If it was all gone, he’d be broke, and he didn’t want to ask his grandmother for money. He was a grown man who supported his grandmother with whatever money he gained, for crying out loud!

He put the money in his bag, and turned to check on E. The other guy was staring at something. For the first time, though, Benny was witnessing not a concerned stare, but a curious stare. “Are you wondering about the picture on my table?”

E seemed to snap out of it. He blinked and looked at Benny. “No, it’s okay. You don’t have to share anything.” Of course he’d say that. He was such a private person, so why would Benny expect him to want others to share their past with him?

“You liar. You’re curious,” Benny said. E opened his mouth to speak, but Benny wasn’t having any of it. “I’m willing to share. I’m not shy about it.” He sat on the bed beside the defeated E, and took the picture frame. He smiled. Despite not remembering anything about the picture, the thought of it made him happy. “I think you guessed it, but these were my parents. That’s me as a baby, and that’s my grandma.” He looked at E, who was slowly starting to smile, too. “They died when I was a toddler, so I don’t have a lot of pictures of them, and I don’t even remember them.” E’s smile disappeared, but he didn’t say anything. “My mom died from a car accident. Dad died after that from … vampires. That’s what Grandma told me.”

Still nothing from E. Benny put the frame back on the table. “That’s my story, I guess. I don’t think it compares to yours. I haven’t suffered as much as you, bu-”

“You still suffered. Just because it’s less than what I’ve been through doesn’t mean it’s not important,” E finally said.

“I know that. Still, I sympathize with you a lot, even though I don’t really know you,” Benny said.

“You don’t have to … sym- sympathize with me,” E said, struggling with the words.

Benny chuckled. “I can’t control my emotions, E.”

“How is that funny to you?” E asked. Benny blinked. “You were just laughing, but you didn’t say anything funny.”

“Yeah, but I found the situation…” Benny lost his trail of thoughts when he noticed E’s smile creeping on his face. “You’re playing with me! Oh, I hate you!”

Indeed, Benny didn’t know E all that well, but it sure felt like they were already close friends.

* * *

Ethan’s guilt didn’t make sense. Why did he feel bad at first when Benny talked about his childhood? He said he was fine with it, so why was Ethan being so weird about it? Despite that, as Benny explained the story, E felt a bit relieved.

And a bit like an asshole. Benny was comfortable enough talking about his past, so why couldn’t Ethan do it? He could reason that his past experiences made it hard for him to get attached to people, but that wasn’t the case here. He was already feeling so close to Benny. Why was he such a bad friend?

If Benny was okay with talking about private things, shouldn’t Ethan be, too?

He wanted to do it – he wanted to share a small thing about himself, but he couldn’t. He didn’t have it in him to speak about himself. His life was too ugly to share, anyway.

Thankfully, though, Ethan didn’t have to worry about this. Benny was very respectful of Ethan’s privacy.

Time passed fast, and before Ethan knew it, Benny’s grandmother was calling for lunch. Benny let Ethan follow him downstairs. The moment they had opened the door and headed towards the stairs, Ethan could smell the sweet scent of food. There was a hint of tomato in the air, but he didn’t know why until he went downstairs. It was tomato sauce that was poured on spaghetti.

“Oh, my God! I miss your food,” Benny exclaimed, and took a seat.

Ethan sat beside him. He could feel his stomach begging for the food. Finally, something healthy and freshly made. Well, he’d had Rory’s mom’s food, and it was the highlight of his days, but it wasn’t the same as a just-made meal.

Benny put some spaghetti for himself, which earned him a stare from his grandmother. “You won’t put some for our guest?”

“It’s okay,” Ethan said. “I’ll put some for myself.”

Benny didn’t seem to care about that statement as he had taken Ethan’s plate already and had given a very generous portion of food. After he gave Ethan the plate, Benny maintained a brief eye contact with his grandmother while smiling, then started eating.

“I hope you like it,” Benny’s grandmother said.

Ethan had a taste of it. Oh, it was so good. Compared to the food he usually had, this was amazing. “I do. It’s delicious.”

Benny gave Ethan a look. “You’re nice. Again. Shocker.”

His grandmother gave him a light slap on the arm. “Stop being disrespectful. He saved your life, didn’t he?”

“Hey, he’s mean to me all the time! It’s only fair I talk back!”

Ethan grinned. “It’s true. I don’t treat him nicely.”

“Well,” his grandmother started. Ethan expected her to be nice, but instead she said, “with that attitude, Benny, no one will.”

Needless to say, lunch at the Weirs’ house was not boring. There were light banters directed left and right, and the whole time, Ethan was either shaking his head or smiling. He wished he had a family like this. These little things that Benny and his grandmother do easily made Ethan feel better.

Lunch was over, and Benny suggested going back to his room.

“How long will we stay here?” Ethan asked once they were alone in there again.

“Not sure. As long as you’d like,” Benny said.

Ethan shrugged. “I know I don’t feel good staying here, but I think I’d feel guilty pulling you out of your own house. I mean, since you’re not willing to leave me alone, I guess.”

“I don’t mind, really. Whatever you decide, I’ll go with it,” Benny said.

Ethan got up. “We can stay here for a bit, but I can’t handle sitting down. I’m so used to being outside and fighting. I’ll step outside for a few minutes.”

“I’m coming, too, then,” Benny said.

“No!”

“Yes, I am. Do you want to die? Because, remember, you almost would’ve been caught once if it wasn’t for me. You are _not_ stepping outside alone,” Benny said.

Ethan pressed his lips together in defeat. “Fine. But don’t bother me too much. You talk a lot.”

With that, they left the room. Of course, Benny’s grandmother was worried a lot, and she tried to convince the guys not to risk it yet, but Ethan was insistent, and so was Benny.

They got out, and Ethan felt the rush of excitement again. He usually felt it when he went and fought vampires. This may not be the ultimate goal to getting out of the house, but the possibility was there. They started walking behind the houses silently. If they wanted to talk, they whispered. Around noon or night, vampire activities were high, so they needed to be careful. Noon seemed like such a strange time for vampires to be out and about, but he guessed the myth about vampires being burned by the sun was false. Bummer.

“I think you’re addicted at this point. To fighting, I mean,” Benny said.

Ethan shook his head. “I’m not addicted. I could choose not to do this, and it wouldn’t bother me that much. I just prefer doing it.”

Benny chuckled. “I’m surprised you know what ‘addicted’ means.”

“I’m homeless, not stupid. Besides, I accidentally got in trouble with drug dealers and addicts once.” Ethan whistled lightly as not to be heard. “Never again.” He was okay with sharing that. It wasn’t that private, so it didn’t bother him that much.

They walked a bit, the place silent but … strangely frightening. They might be watched.

He stopped in his place, looking around. He heard some noise for a brief second, then it stopped. It wasn’t coming from Benny’s direction either.

“I heard that, too,” Benny whispered.

Ethan reached into his pants’ pockets to get his stake out. There came the rush of excitement again. Please don’t let this be disappointing, he thought. Please don’t let this be petty teenagers doing dangerous pranks.

To Ethan’s luck, or perhaps misfortune, it was always vampires who were after him. This one, he recognized. It was one of Jesse’s closest friends. The situation must be drastic, Ethan realized, if Jesse was willing to send off valuable vampires. Jesse must be scared. That made Ethan smile. Did he finally get to him after all those years of playing cat and mouse? Except Jesse was the mouse, hiding behind his cowardice.

“Thought I recognized you,” said the vampire, whatever his name was. “Last time I’ve seen you, you were a feisty little kid. Still haven’t changed, huh?”

“We’re getting sappy now? I don’t have time for this,” Ethan said.

The vampire looked at Benny, and suddenly, Ethan felt the need to protect the tall idiot, like he always did. “You have a friend now. Heard you were walking around with another moron. You know he’s just going to die like all the others. And he wouldn’t even know your name. At least I’ve heard you don’t tell people your name, _Ethan_.”

Ethan tightened his grip on the stake. No, this was not how he wanted Benny to find out anything about himself. This wasn’t fair. He shifted his eyes towards Benny for a second, who didn’t seem to react physically.

“Hey, Mr. Vampire, listen,” Benny began. “If you wanted to talk, you could have invited us over some ice cream. Rude.” He was playing this so cool. Ethan appreciated that.

The vampire chuckled. That was his mistake. He shouldn’t underestimate Benny. “Really? That’s your partner in crime?”

The vampire was suddenly in front of him, like he wanted to get this over with already. Ethan tried to stab him and get this over with, but the vampire had knocked the stake out of Ethan’s hand. It was fine. He had other weapons. What was not fine was the fact that seconds later, he was choking in the hands of his enemy. He couldn’t breathe. No wonder Jesse sent him. This guy was not one to play like all the rest. _Benny_ , he thought. _You fucking idiot, help!_

“Jesse told me to bring you alive,” said the vampire, “but I don’t care what he says. You need to die. We suffered enough with you.”

It felt like an eternity with him being held like that. His vision was getting dark. Was he going to die? He didn’t want to. Not yet. Benny deserved to know the truth. And Ethan wanted to know if his family was alive or not. He wanted to kill Jesse, too. There was so much unfinished business. He’d been robbed from his own life since childhood. He couldn’t die just yet.

He felt the grip getting looser on him, although the vampire would not let go. That was until the hand was completely gone. Ethan breathed again. Finally. The vampire was dead. He felt like he was about to fall, but Benny held him for stability. They stayed like that for a while. Ethan felt glad for Benny at the moment. He closed his eyes, feeling so exhausted from what just happened. This was nice. And Benny was nice to him.

He opened his eyes, realizing the situation. He was in Benny’s arms for way too long. It wasn’t appropriate. Maybe Benny was uncomfortable.

“E, I think we should head back,” Benny said. E. He called him E despite knowing his name. Maybe it was because he was used to it. Maybe it was out of empathy. Either way, Ethan didn’t feel like he deserved Benny. He has had multiple people in his life, trying to support him emotionally and mentally. None were as special as Benny, though.

His name revelation may not have been how he wanted things to go exactly, but it was a blessing in disguise. Now, for once, he felt like he can share a little bit about himself to the person who keeps saving his miserable life.

* * *

 

The two boys were soon back to the Weirs’ house. Once they had opened the back door, Evelyn looked at them with concern. Was it really that obvious? Well, Benny supposed that E, or rather Ethan, was looking a bit tired. It was so weird now knowing his name, though. It was like unlocking a secret chest that he didn’t deserve.

“Oh, dear. Are you boys okay?” she asked.

Benny nodded. “He’ll be fine. He just needs to rest a bit. We ran into some trouble.”

“Yeah, I can see that.”

The whole time, Ethan was silent, and Benny couldn’t blame him. After what they had been through, he had the right to be silent. Benny led him upstairs to his room once again, and Ethan sat in the place he had previously occupied. But when before he was more lively and talkative, now he was just … sitting, looking at the ground. Benny felt bad for him. It must be really horrible trying to keep his secret, but having it get ruined at the end.

What scared Benny the most was that because of this, Ethan would get up and leave Benny all of a sudden. Benny would excuse himself and say that he was scared for Ethan’s health, but no. There was something deeper to this. He was very much attached to Ethan now.

He needed a distraction, and badly. He got up, took his phone and found the nearest power outlet so he can charge his phone. In his time with Ethan in the last two weeks, they’d find places for Benny to charge his phone, and the most constant place they went to was the gym. Rory was really helpful to them, thank goodness. But still, there was no guarantee he would be able to stay in contact with his grandmother with the boys going from place to place, with the buildings mostly not having electricity.

“Thanks. Again.” Benny was a bit startled by Ethan speaking, but he turned to him, and nodded.

“It’s nothing, E,” he said. He still felt more comfortable saying ‘E’ instead of ‘Ethan’.

“You can call me by my real name, you know. I don’t mind,” he said.

“Really? You’re okay with it?” Benny asked.

“Yeah, that’s what ‘I don’t mind’ means, dumbass. And you make fun of me for not completing school. The guts you have.”

Benny laughed, finally finding it in him to be happy after the vampire incident.

“And really? _Mr. Vampire_? I wanna kill myself with a giant rock. That’s how bad you are at coming up with shit on the spot.”

Oh, how nice it was. Things were finally back to normal.

For the rest of the day, they tried to be productive. Benny suggested that Ethan got a haircut, which he didn’t oppose. Evelyn came and cut his hair a bit. All the while, the two were making faces at each other like little children.

“Play time’s over,” Evelyn said. “Go, dear. Look at yourself in the mirror and tell me if you like your hair.”

Ethan went to look at himself, which took a few seconds of him seemingly trying to get used to his new look. He looked at Evelyn finally and nodded. “Looks good. At least now vampires might not recognize me as much.”

After that, they had dinner, which was delivery pizza, meanwhile watching TV.

They went upstairs again. It was really dark outside now. “Ethan?” he asked, testing out the name on his tongue. It was nice, and it suited the shorter boy well. “Is it okay with you if we stayed here for the night? I kind of miss my bed, and I think it’s safer here, anyway.”

“It’s fine. I’m tired, so it doesn’t matter to me right now,” he replied.

And so they laid down a mattress for him, a pillow, and a blanket, they Ethan lied down, a hint of a smile on his face. “I wanna get used to this. I know it won’t happen, though.” The smile was gone. “Bad luck follows me everywhere.”

“Well, maybe the bad luck stopped. You have your … Benny in … shining shoes?”

“Kill me,” Ethan said.

Benny gave a chuckle. “Anyway, I’m going to sleep now. Goodnight, Ethan,” he said.

A second passed. Two seconds. Three. “Goodnight,” Ethan said in reply, and covered himself with the blanket.

That night, thankfully, there were no nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked this! I had writer’s block in the middle of this, plus I had lots of shit to do. But hey, I got over both obstacles. I swear I’m not giving up. I mean, as long as you guys show me support.
> 
> As always, leave a review or a comment, depending on the platform. And hopefully I’ll be back soon with more chapters. 
> 
> Until next time!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, there!
> 
> I’m stumped on this story since I’m still trying to build the story up, but like what drama can I include? Not much at this point. Sigh. Imma have to wing it, tbh.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy.

“Now press A and move forward. See? There you go!”

Trying to get a hang of video games was confusing for Ethan. He hadn’t held a controller for years. The last game he’s ever touched was probably a Playstation, but it was an old model by now. Still, being addicted to video games as a child didn’t mean he remembered how to use a console.

He had to admit, it was fun playing with _this_ console, and Benny seemed to be having fun teaching Ethan. Even when he messed up, Benny was laughing his ass off. Of course, Ethan felt embarrassed, but he was always assured that he was doing well.

“Shoot him! He’s gonna kill you!” Benny yelled.

“How?” Ethan asked, already forgetting which button to press. By the time Benny wanted to remind him of the shooting mechanics, his character fell to the ground, the screen blood-red. “I suck. I died in like, the first round. _For the fifth time!_ Your fault for giving a controller to a guy who hasn’t played video games since he was six!” Ethan exclaimed. Benny just laughed. Sharing information even as irrelevant as this to Benny was a new feeling, but it was nice that Benny didn’t highlight them as much.

“I agree, you _do_ suck.” The comment made Ethan eye Benny, who kept on smiling. “Hey, you keep insulting me, Ethan. It’s the first time you’ve said anything negative about yourself.”

Ethan almost forgot that Benny knew his name. It wasn’t something he was used to – people knowing information about him. But Benny was different. He knew things about Ethan that took Rory a year to learn. Yet again, Rory was a laid-back guy who always made sure Ethan was comfortable. Benny pushed boundaries sometimes yet he respected Ethan. And he was _so_ stubborn, like it was his mission to make Ethan his friend.

“Well, don’t get used to it. I’ll be back to making you feel bad about yourself soon,” Ethan said with a dead-serious face, but both of them knew this was just part of Ethan teasing Benny.

Upon laying eyes on Benny, for a second, Benny seemed to be staring at Ethan, a little smile on his face. When Benny noticed Ethan looking at him, he kept his eyes on the screen, then took the controller from Ethan. _What is he thinking about?_ Ethan asked himself.

“Anyway,” Ethan said. “Not trying to be rude or anything, but when can I leave?”

“ _We_ can leave when my grandmother gives me my backpack again. She’s worried I’ll starve out there.” Ethan wished he had someone as loving as Benny’s grandmother in his life. Once upon a time, he did, but it’s been a while since he’s had a parent figure in his life.

As Benny noted, fifteen minutes passed until Benny’s grandmother came in, telling Benny that she added some food and items that she felt Benny needed. Benny seemed sad that he had to leave, and Ethan tried to convince him not to come, but Benny insisted. _Why does he care so much?_ No one’s ever cared about Ethan like this, and no one’s tried to protect him like Benny had. Most people dealt with him like he was a street rat, trying to shoo him because he was a poor, homeless guy. He didn’t feel like he deserved what Benny offered him. Even if he knew these thoughts were wrong, but it was hard to get rid of feelings he’s had since he’s been homeless.

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Weir came and gave Ethan a hug. “Take care of yourself.” She pulled away. “And don’t die! Benny really likes you.”

“Grandma!” Benny said, his cheeks turning red as he eyed Mrs. Weir.

“Dear, it’s obvious. Even a blind person can tell,” she said. Ethan grinned at Benny, trying to stifle a laugh. It was kind of funny seeing Benny embarrassed. He knew he was cruel for finding this amusing, but he didn’t care.

Benny looked at the ground. “You done, Grandma?” he asked.

She laughed a little, and said, “Well, if you weren’t gonna say anything, I figured I should say something. So, you’re welcome.” Benny huffed. “Well, anyway. I won’t stall any longer. Goodbye, boys.” She pointed at Benny. “Two weeks, and you two are coming back.”

Benny nodded, to which Ethan blinked. “What?”

“Come on, let’s go,” Benny said, dragging Ethan outside.

“This is not fair. I didn’t agree to anything!” he said, genuinely scared that he was going to have regular visits to the Weirs’ house. Given that both of them make it out alive. “I hate you,” Ethan said once they were outside.

“What’s new?” Benny asked, seeming to be back to normal.

In his dreams would Ethan let anything go. “Your cheeks getting red in there is pretty new,” Ethan said, a smirk on his face.

“Shut up,” Benny muttered.

Benny might be ashamed about discussing this, but at the same time, this wasn’t something Ethan experienced at all. By that he meant that no one really ever liked Ethan in this way. If he knew this would happen, he would have tried being meaner to Benny. Not that he didn’t want anyone to _like_ him, but he was always scared of people getting attached to him, just like Benny was. Benny was going to get in trouble sticking around Ethan, but Ethan couldn’t bring himself to truly let this guy go, even if he tried to convince Benny to do so.

“You asked,” Ethan pointed out.

“Yeah, I kind of dug myself a hole,” he said, still not looking Ethan in the eyes. Ethan should probably let this go. If Benny didn’t press Ethan about information, he shouldn’t, either.

“Yep. Just don’t dig me one. Seriously? You agreed with her to come back with me in two weeks?” he asked.

“Well, yeah. I know you don’t like staying over or anything, but even if you don’t think so, you’re safe in the house. My grandmother’s a fighter, and she’s really careful at home. Besides, she likes having you over.”

“That’s not very careful. I could be a murderer for all you guys know,” he said.

“That’s an invalid argument. You kill vampires, and we know that, yet we let you in,” Benny said.

“Well, I don’t mean that. I meant like a human murderer.”

“A human murderer?” Benny asked, chuckling. “Well, I think I can rest assured that you’re not. A murderer would never say something like this.”

“How would you know? Are you one?” Ethan asked with a smile on his face as he looked at Benny.

“You’ll never know.” Finally, a smile from Benny. Still, he wouldn’t look at Ethan, but it was okay.

“Maybe one day I-”

“Ethan Morgan.” Well, that wasn’t Benny voice. It was a deeper one – a voice he didn’t recognize very well. Besides, Benny didn’t know Ethan’s last name. Now he did, so screw whoever this guy was.

Ethan put his hand on the knife that was hidden and turned to look at the guy who was talking. It was a vampire, as he guessed, but one that Ethan vaguely remembered.

“Relax. I’m not here to get you. In fact, I don’t work for Jesse Black,” said the vampire. “Even if you think I do.”

Oh, that’s right. Ethan remembered his face because he was there when Ethan first saw Jesse Black. But this vampire _did_ work for Jesse. “Bullshit.”

“Think what you may, but I was only there undercover.”

From the corner of Ethan’s eyes, he could see Benny stepping a little bit in front, as if to be able to better protect Ethan if anything happened. He really didn’t need to do that. Ethan was perfectly capable of handling this.

“Why undercover?” Ethan asked.

“Well,” the vampire hesitated. “I can’t say anything here. I don’t want any of Black’s people overhearing us. I need you to come with me. You may not trust me yet, but perhaps you will once I tell you I work with _her_.”

Oh, right. He forgot about that. “Guess we’ll come. But if you’re tricking me, I’ll make my friend kill you. Got it?”

The vampire smiled, amused. “Come on. Hold on to me. It’ll be quicker.” Oh, Ethan hated vampire speed, but if he had to do it, he guessed he must.

He looked at Benny who, despite also looking worried, followed Ethan. They both held on to the man, and in a fraction of a second, they were in front of a building. It was hidden behind bushes and trees in the forest. It was hard to find unless you knew the way, which was a good thing, Ethan guessed. He turned to Benny, who was looking at the gothic-style building in awe. “This is sick,” Benny said.

“The color’s depressing,” Ethan muttered, already hating the black paint job outside. Vampires had bad style.

“You’re depressing. Let’s just follow him before he’s sick of _us_ ,” Benny said, pushing Ethan towards the vampire, who was already making his way into the building. The interior was very dark, just as it was outside, though there were red carpets on the floor. Otherwise, it was all black, brown, and sort of classic in décor.

Immediately, Ethan was surprised to see two familiar faces. “Sarah? Erica? What are you guys doing here?”

Erica, the blonde, bitchy, yet secretly soft vampire, gave a lop-sided smile and raised an eyebrow. “Well, shit. Satan himself just stepped in.”

“Don’t be mean, Erica,” Sarah said, and came to hug Ethan. “I thought you were dead. I miss you!”

Ethan wasn’t good with hugs, so on his end, he felt awkward, but Sarah didn’t seem to care. “Y-Yeah, miss you, too.”

She slapped him playfully on the arm. He rubbed it. Even when vampires were being gentle, their slaps still hurt. “Next time, when something bad happens, don’t run away without saying anything.”

“I didn’t run away! I was freaking fighting! We both know humans can’t run away from vampires. It’s not my fault we were attacked. Well, it was, but still!”

Sarah’s eyes shifted to Benny, who was standing behind Ethan a few meters away awkwardly. “Hi! I’m Sarah!” she offered her hand.

Benny took it and gave it a shake. “Hi. I’m Benny.” He was being polite – maybe because he didn’t know her well yet because he was naturally very unashamed around Ethan.

She addressed Ethan, saying, “New friend?” she asked, then whispered, “Maybe boyfriend?”

Ethan didn’t even try to be discreet about this. “Mmm, more like a partner in crime, though he wishes to get in my pants.”

“Oh, my God,” Benny said, clearly not up for talking about this. “Can you not?”

“Really? Him?” Erica asked Benny as she pointed at Ethan. “Your standards are low, buddy.”

Someone cleared their throat. It was the vampire who had brought Ethan in. “We’ll have time for reunions afterwards. Anastasia wants to see you.”

Oh, right. He forgot what he was here for when he saw the two vampire girls. He pointed at Benny. “Can he come? Or…?”

The vampire pondered. “He can. If you’d like it better with him around, I can ask Anastasia about this.”

“Please,” Ethan said. The vampire led them to a room that upon entering, the first thing you saw were giant doors that probably brought you to where Anastasia was. The vampire went in there alone, and Ethan waited with Benny standing closely by.

“Wow, you know a lot of vampires,” Benny said in a low voice. Good idea since there were many bloodsuckers here. Still, they probably could hear them.

“When vampire hunting has been your focus most your life, you bet you’d know a lot of vampires, too.”

“Who is this Anastasia, anyway?” Benny asked.

Oh, he was about to find out. “Well, let’s just say she’s not what you’d expect.”

“What?” Benny asked, appearing even more confused than before. Ethan snickered.

The vampire came outside again, holding the door slightly open. “She approves. You may come in.”

Ethan went in first, seeing as it would be more appropriate since he was the one requested, not Benny. Poor guy was just … there, enduring all of Ethan’s crap.

Anastasia was just as Ethan remembered. She was a vampire trapped in the body of a small girl, yet she sat all high and mighty on a fancy chair. He understood that she was an old soul, and she was way better than Jesse in many ways, but Ethan hated her a lot. She was annoying and very demanding to Ethan, who wasn’t even a vampire. She shouldn’t be treating a human like this. Whatever. He didn’t care.

Benny, meanwhile, looked surprised, but again, he didn’t say anything. That was another thing Ethan liked about Benny. He didn’t speak when he wasn’t part of the conversation unless he was addressed, or if he felt like he had to speak.

“Hello, Ethan. And friend of Ethan,” she said. “It’s been a while, Morgan. Last time I’ve seen you, you were merely a child.”

“Yep. I’m still human. Humans grow,” he said, impatient already.

“I hope Philip had briefed you a bit about what’s happening,” she said.

“Yeah, about that. What are we doing here?” Ethan asked. “I know he was a spy for you or something, but I don’t understand what’s happening.”

“Philip has been tasked to track you down. We’ve heard you’re still slaying vampires, specifically Jesse’s men. So, we thought we’d bring you here and hopefully make a successful deal. Or rather an alliance,” she said.

“An alliance? Why?” he asked, suspicious of her already.

“We both have the same goal. Reverend Black has destroyed this town. Most of the humans are gone, and it’s no longer a place of peace. I used to run a council here, but we’ve been forced to hide recently. As you can see, we’ve even changed our location.” Well, that was true. They used to be in the town itself. Now they’ve retreated in the woods. “All I ask is that humans and vampires live in harmony. I believe you would like the same to happen, wouldn’t you?”

He did, but he still didn’t like Anastasia enough to immediately agree to her question. “Still, an alliance? Why would I say yes to that? As I remember, you tried to _eat_ me last time.”

“What?” Benny asked.

“Yeah. You know when she decided not to do that? When she realized I had weapons, and she called me _a monstrous child_. Remember _that_ , Anastasia?” he asked. “How sick are you to think that I’d say yes?”

“Ethan, that was in the past. I’ve moved past that. I’ve disliked vampire slayers back then, but I realize this town is in grave danger. You seem to be the only human that Jesse Black is desperate to get. And this is for a good cause,” she reasoned.

He laughed. “Still hate you.”

“I know, young child,” she said. Oh, the irony.

He thought about it. He couldn’t just agree. He had his own terms. “I’ll only be your ally if you promise me a few things.”

“What are they?” she asked.

“Don’t lay a finger on me, and don’t you dare threaten me. I’ll back out of this alliance if you do,” he said.

“Deal,” she said, seeming happy.

“And,” he said, not done yet, “this also applies to my friend. Hurt him, and I’m out.” He made eye contact with Benny, who looked slightly nervous, but he was calming down a bit.

“Fine. Anything else?” she asked.

Well, there wasn’t anything else that he wanted. That was until she asked the question. “I need shelter and protection. If I’m going to help you, I need to be alive, don’t I?”

She sighed. “All right. We can provide you with both. But we cannot do any more than that. We are already struggling in power and money.”

Ethan nodded. “That’s all I want. Do we have a-”

“Wait,” Benny said, putting a hand up. “Before you do this, what do _you_ want?” he asked, addressing the vampire. Oh, thank goodness for Benny. That would have slipped Ethan’s mind if it wasn’t for him. It’s a good thing he requested that Benny came, too.

“You do not need to worry, human. I don’t ask for much. Just that you continue what you were doing and that you try your best to work with us to defeat Jesse. The only thing I’d request of you is to report back to me every once in a while. We can help you. That is all I’d like.”

Benny seemed to be at ease now. Not completely, but he seemed like he felt better than before.

“I have a question,” she said. “Are you close to any of my allies?”

Ethan nodded. “Well, there’s Sarah and Erica. Why?”

“Perfect. I trust that they will be able to protect you whenever you need them. It is better than sending people who are strangers to you, don’t you think?”

Ethan crossed his arms. “That’s not what I thought of when I said ‘protection’, but I guess it’s better this way.”

“I’m glad we can agree on that,” she said. “That might be all. Speak to your friends about our agreement, and I can arrange a shelter for you.”

Ethan nodded, and after sassing her back a few more times like he was used to, he left the room and went to find Sarah and Erica, who were no longer in the hall. They were probably doing something for Anastasia in a room somewhere. He found them in the library - not reading, but chatting. No other vampire was there but them. It would’ve been unfortunate if there were vampires here trying to read some books because the girls didn’t seem concerned about being loud. He told them about what Anastasia said. Of course, Sarah was okay with it. She was always trying her best to be a good friend. Erica, meanwhile, complained about this. While she pretended to despise him, Ethan knew she had a warm heart. She just didn’t want to admit to that.

They agreed to take turns, though Sarah was willing to look out for Ethan more, so she was probably going to be around the two boys frequently. Though, they weren’t always going to be around Ethan and Benny. Like now, Ethan just needed Sarah to safely get him to the town. Sarah did so, but before she left, she took out her phone.

“Ummm … wait, let me remember your name. Benny, right?” she asked.

He nodded, chuckling. “Yeah, it’s Benny.”

“Oh, thank God,” she said, which made Benny laugh. They were getting along well, at least. “Do you have a phone? Cause Ethan doesn’t and I need to contact you guys.”

“Yeah, I do,” he said. She gratefully gave him her phone so he could put in his phone number.

“Stay safe, Ethan. Seriously. You’re very reckless.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever,” he said. “I got this.”

“Don’t worry,” Benny added in. “I keep him grounded. I think.”

Sarah laughed. “Good. You take care of him _and_ yourself, Benny.” She waved at them. “Bye!”

They said their goodbye, and she was gone in the blink of an eye. The day itself was eventless, compared to what Ethan usually experienced. Vampires find him, and he kills them off with Benny. Sometimes, he’d purposefully go after them, too, but not often. They’d eat, then continue on with the routine.

By the end of the day, Sarah had texted Benny, saying that she could get them to a recently abandoned house, which was a good thing since Ethan didn’t want to find a random building and sleep on the floor. A bed would be nice, if there was one. He hoped the house still had its furniture. They got there, and once again, Sarah left them.

Ethan walked around the thankfully furnished house, checking the rooms. There was one master bedroom, and one that seemed to be for two little children. “Yeah, we’re not gonna fit in those beds,” Benny said in reference to the children’s beds. “Guess we have one option?” Benny said.

Looking in the closets just to make sure that they weren’t missing any extra mattresses, Ethan also came to the conclusion that they had one option. “Yep. You sleep on the couch. I take the bed.” He grinned at the offended Benny. “Just kidding! If you feel uncomfortable sleeping beside me on a bed, we can always put some pillows between us.”

“Not a good idea. Might grab the pillows in my sleep without realizing it. I have a thing for making situations even more awkward, and I guess that applies for sleeping, too.” He shrugged. “I don’t really care if we sleep together in a bed, E. We’re adults. We can be mature about this.”

Ethan agreed. After showering in the bathroom, Ethan headed to the bed. Benny was already lying down on the right side of the bed, though he was on his phone, typing something. Once Ethan sat down on the bed, Benny put down his phone. Not wanting to bother Benny, Ethan tried to sleep. Even though he was tired, he couldn’t get himself to sleep. Too many thoughts were in his head.

He felt Benny shifting on the other side, so Ethan turned his head to get a peak of Benny. Not surprisingly, Benny was awake. He was staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Can’t sleep?” Ethan whispered. In case Benny was sleepy, Ethan didn’t want to speak too loudly and ruin Benny’s attempts at having a good night’s rest.

“Nope,” Benny said. “It’s weird sleeping in a bed for once. I mean, I know I slept in my bed last night, but by now, I’m use to sleeping on the floor. It’s kinda strange, you know?” Benny also turned his head to look at Ethan.

Ethan nodded. “I know.” He understood well how it was like to sleep on the floor every night because he couldn’t find a proper place. Rory had offered help before, but Ethan always rejected it, feeling like a burden to Rory. “In general, I’m not used to having good things in my life. Speaking of which, I rarely thank anyone because not everyone treats me well, but … thanks for last night.” Benny gave a slight smile. “I know I was scared to stay in your house at first, but you were really nice to me. So was your grandma.”

Benny chuckled. “She loves you.” It was weird hearing that word again. Love. The last time he’s ever had anyone _love_ him was when he was still with his parents. His mother was expressive enough that she’d tell him _I love you_ every once in a while. But that’s one among the very few things he remembered of home.

“Benny,” Ethan said. “I know I was teasing you a lot today, but I didn’t want you to feel bad for … liking me.” Again, feelings were hard for Ethan. It was also very different for him, having someone liking him. “And I don’t want you to feel weird about it. Cause I don’t really mind it, either.”

Benny nodded. “Okay.” He seemed ready to go to try sleeping again, as if he thought Ethan concluded his speech.

Ethan huffed. Why was he so bad at talking about these kinds of things? “I’m trying to tell you that … you can talk to me about this. Because…”

“Because you like me?” Benny asked, teasing Ethan.

Ethan said nothing.

Benny’s face, which was all smiles and grins, turned serious once he realized where this conversation was probably heading. “Sorry. You don’t have to-”

“I’m not against being in a relationship with you,” he blurted out.

“Oh,” Benny said, not expecting this. “I’m … pleasantly surprised.” His smile grew, and for once, Ethan was glad he made Benny smile. Sure, Benny was a naturally optimistic person from what he’d seen, but it still felt good seeing this reaction, nonetheless. “Well, if you want me to ask you out, stop making fun of me.” His face dramatically expressed hurt. Such a goofball.

“Not a chance,” Ethan said with no hesitation.

“Eh, worth a shot.” For Benny, it seemed that everything was ‘ _worth it_ ’. If only Ethan felt this way about life. He guessed that’s why the two had met. There was a sort of balance between them.

“Besides,” Ethan said, “even if you ask me out, where would you take me? There’s nowhere!”

Benny nodded. “True. Not like you can go out in public. You’ll be attacked in seconds. I’ll figure something out eventually.” Also, practically everywhere was unlivable, save for a few locations, but whatever.

“Eventually, as in never?” he asked, laughing at his own joke.

“Haha. Funny. Go to sleep, idiot,” Benny said, turning his back against Ethan, but not before he smiled at the brown-eyed man.

“Fine. Night!” Ethan said and tried his best to sleep.

At first, sleep didn’t want to come. He couldn’t get over the shock of what just happened. But then his mind eased a little, and slowly, he found himself having sweet dreams. That was a first for him, and perhaps, if he remained in this state of mind – relaxed and happy – he won’t get any nightmares like he used to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, winging it works! 1/10, don’t recommend it. I felt like I was all over the place. Don’t have a whole lot left for this story.
> 
> Might publish a few more chapters (not sure though, take my words with a grain of salt), but I think it’ll be over soon. I have a clear ending (ish) in mind, and I feel like its time might be soon.
> 
> Well, until next time!


	5. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t wanna stall. I’ll just get straight to the chapter and wing it! 
> 
> Enjoy!

Most days were spent doing the same old things – fighting vampires, killing them, eating, sleeping. It was kind of … boring, Benny could say. He was so used to this way of living now that it almost felt like an exhausting yet necessary routine. It’s just that these days, there was low-key a hint of flirting between him and Ethan.

As they walked, Benny couldn’t help but smile. Ethan. It was nice knowing his name, now that he thought about it. And it was even nicer that Ethan seemed to warm up to him exponentially these past few days.

“You look like an idiot,” said Ethan, the usual sassiness making its presence known.

“Are you gonna say that every time I start smiling? Can’t I be happy?” he asked, the smile still lingering a bit.

“No. I’m miserable, therefore you should be too,” Ethan said, a smirk of humor appearing on his face.

“Wow, you used the word _therefore_. Fancy!” Benny teased.

“Hey, fuckface, I’m not stupid! I still read!” A frown on his face, though it wasn’t genuinely showing hurt. “I go to the public library every once in a while. I actually really like reading books.”

That was interesting to know, actually. He never heard Ethan talk about hobbies, so finding out that reading was one of them … was actually not surprising. Somehow, it showed on Ethan that he was kind of a nerd. If only he had a normal life to live so he could actively do what he loved. That kind of made Benny sad. “What kind of books do you like to read?” he asked.

Ethan seemed to think about it for a while. “So many to choose from. Probably science books, in general. Also, science fiction.” Oh, yeah. He was definitely a nerd.

“Well, we have one thing in common. I also like science fiction.” His eyes widened from an idea that popped into his head. “Dude! One day, I should bring you back to the house and we’ll watch some Sci-Fi movies! I have so much on my computer.”

Ethan nodded. “Yeah, that sounds nice. Except, I’m not gonna stay at your house for a long time. You know how I feel about being at your house.”

“Stop whining! If anyone’s in danger in that house, it’s me. Not you. I’m honestly not that great in fighting vampires, if they ever come in the house, that is.”

“You’re actually good at fighting vampires. Who said you weren’t? And who said I’m scared for myself?” Ethan asked, looking at Benny with concerned eyes. “I don’t want you to get hurt. That’s why I’m scared.”

He understood the concern. He really did. This was a big fear of Ethan’s – perhaps he could call it a phobia. But that was the thing about these fears. They sometimes weren’t rational. Not that the fear was irrational – it was just that things might not be as bad as Ethan’s mind made them out to be. “E,” Benny said. “I’m in danger every day when we walk through the streets. If anything, homes are way safer.”

Ethan looked down, a sigh escaping his lips. “I know. I just have bad memories of staying with families in houses.”

Benny noticed that they were approaching the place that Anastasia had provided for them. Oh, sweet relief. He didn’t want to face any bloodsucker right now. “Is it okay with you if you tell me what happened before?”

A bit of hesitation. “Yeah. I guess.” He nodded, like he was trying to tell himself that he was okay with it. “I mean, romantically, we’re together. I shouldn’t really keep my life a mystery from you. You deserve to know me. I’m okay with telling you a little bit for now.”

“If you want to,” Benny said, holding the door open for Ethan. As Ethan stepped in, Benny could see the nervousness emanating from Ethan. He really wasn’t used to sharing personal stories, huh? Shaking the thought from his head, Benny closed and locked the door behind him after he had come inside.

“I do,” he said. He found himself a seat on a couch, and Benny did so as well. “Well, the reason I don’t like staying with people in their houses is … kind of disturbing.” He chuckled. “That’s my whole life, I guess.” He bit his lower lip, his eyes blankly staring at the floor. “When I was a kid, and I was alone for the first day, I started walking through the streets. I remember crying a lot. I guess this couple heard me, and they came out to help me find my parents. Thing was, I didn’t know my parents’ numbers. I did know where our house was. Since it was really late, they waited till the next day to do anything. They didn’t want to leave at night. You know how vampires are at night. So in the afternoon, when the sun was the brightest, they drove me until we reached my parents’ house, and I remember ringing the bell, knocking on the door, but there was no answer. I look through the windows. There was no one inside. My mom was usually home at that time, the curtains weren’t even fully opened like they usually were in the afternoon. I knew they were gone. But the couple – they were very nice to me. They took me in and they took care of me. They even had two kids of their own, so I was happy – when I wasn’t thinking about my parents. But then, after like … three years, maybe, the vampires found where I lived and they- they killed the family. All of them. I don’t know how I managed to escape. It was horrifying.”

There were so many questions going through Benny’s head. Why would the vampires do this? Why were they after Ethan and the whole family? Why would they kill an innocent family? How could they traumatize a kid like that?

“I didn’t learn from that mistake. My aunt found me soon after. I was hoping I could find my parents through her, but even she didn’t know what happened to them. So, I stayed with her for a year. And then she was found and killed. All because of me.” He swallowed. “I was so scared that I only entered abandoned houses from then on. I didn’t want to be around anyone. That was until you took me to your house. But yeah, that’s the story.”

Benny never held Ethan’s hand, but in this moment, that was all he could do. He was too saddened by the story to hug Ethan or to comfort-kiss him. He was trying to process all that information. He squeezed Ethan’s hand. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I don’t know how _I_ would have dealt with that in your situation. That must have been scary.” No wonder he was so scared for Benny and his grandmother. Benny can kind of understand Ethan now.

“It was. It’s been forever since then, though. I feel like I’m better now, and I’m not too hung up over what happened when I was a kid. Still, I feel like what I’m doing – it’s all because of what happened to the nice family and my aunt. I don’t want them to die for nothing. I’m surviving and killing the bad vampires for them.”

Benny nodded. The room was silent for a while, but then Benny thought to ask something. “So you still don’t know what happened to your parents?”

Ethan shook his head. “I really don’t. I just know that they’re not home. Don’t know if they got killed, if they left, or if they got turned. I don’t even know if my younger sister got born.”

“Oh, your mom was pregnant, too?” Benny asked, though he felt like he was asking too much. Like he wasn’t supposed to go in the direction he was heading.

“Yeah, she was. I was excited, too.” He shrugged. “Oh, well. Even if she was born, I wouldn’t know how she’d look like. Now that I think about it, I don’t think I remember how my _parents_ look like. Damn, I’m missing out on life.” He seemed to be talking to himself mostly.

“Well, I’m missing out on life with you, too, now,” he said jokingly.

Ethan rolled his eyes. “Your comments are the worst, you know that?”

“Aaaand he’s back,” Benny said.

After a fulfilling meal, a nice chat, and a good sleep, the two boys started a fresh new day. Now, what did they need to do? After all that seriousness from the previous night, Benny, and seemingly Ethan, felt the need to be productive with their mission. Finding and getting rid of Jesse Black. They needed to find a way to defeat him. Or, rather, kill him. “Do you know where we can even find Jesse?”

“Oh, hell yeah. That’s not the problem. I’m more worried about how we’re gonna kill him. If you think fighting other vampires can be hard, he’s worse. He’s smart and devious and he can’t be tricked.” He shook his head. “He wants me caught so badly, though. Even if he catches me and I get inside his evil … place, I don’t know how I’d get away with stabbing him or even just attacking. That place is _filled_ with vampire guards.”

Benny pointed. “You’re right! That’s it!”

“What?” Ethan asked.

“Think about it. He wants you caught, right? If we do go together to kill him and whatever, then he’ll be so focused on you that he wouldn’t care as much about me, right? So, I can take advantage of that and actually try to kill that son of a bitch once and for all.”

Ethan nodded. “Okay, yeah. I can see that happening. It’s not a foolproof plan, but we can always work on it. Hey, you _are_ smart. Here I am, thinking you’re dumb.”

“Can’t blame you,” Benny said. “I think of myself as dumb, too.” He grinned goofily, which earned him a playful slap on the shoulder.

“Whatever. We should get going. I need new weapons, and Rory got me some.”

“Ethan, if you need weapons, you can always tell me. My grandmother knows where to get the really good ones,” Benny suggested.

“Next time. I already asked Rory for this. Plus, he was really happy I asked him for something,” Ethan said. Fair point, Benny supposed. Plus, what kind of weapons would he find? Benny didn’t know, but he was excited and very curious.

With that, they had left to see Rory, but not in the gym like usual. They met in a building that seemed to be deteriorating with the years. Of course, they had to invite Rory in since he couldn’t simply enter as a vampire.

“Hey, guys,” Rory said in his usual cheerfulness. “Check this stuff out. I only bought the cool weapons.”

“Of course you did,” Ethan said.

From the duffel bag he had, Rory took out the weapons, and they looked cool indeed. “These daggers have like protective symbols on them. At least that’s what’s been said to me.”

Benny picked one up. The hilt looked oddly beautiful and intricate. He could identify some symbols, too, thanks to his grandmother educating him in this field. One symbol meant _do no evil and evil will not come for you_. Another was a generic one that protected from creatures of bad intentions. He didn’t know how effective these symbols were, but he knew they worked. He’d had protected _and_ protective items before. He definitely could have died multiple times if it weren’t for these items. “Pretty legit,” Benny noted.

 “Yeah. And look, I found a crossbow specifically made for tiny wooden stakes. Or stuff like that. I got it because you have so many close-range combat weapons. Thought long-range ones would come in handy.”

“What about this one?” Ethan asked with an amused smile.

“Oh, that’s for me.” He held up a knife with a smiley face etched on the hilt. “Cause I’m a happy guy. But a deadly one.”

“They sell silly shit like that?” Ethan asked.

“No,” Rory said. “I had it custom-made!” Custom-made knives? Protective daggers? This guy really knew how to get cool weapons. Besides the ones Rory mentioned, there were more weapons, but perhaps Rory didn’t find it worth mentioning.

“Was it really worth it?” Ethan asked with a doubtful look.

Rory nodded. “You just don’t appreciate my humor.”

“No, I really don’t,” Ethan said.

“Wow, are you sassy to everyone?” Benny asked.

“Pretty much,” Ethan said, and took some weapons, then offered the rest to Benny.

“Rory, question,” Benny said. “Where’d you get all these?”

“I have people I know. I can get along with the good vampires and I can pretend to get along with the bad vampires, and sometimes both sides help me get stuff. Works out in my favor ‘cause even when any side finds out I’ve been talking to the enemy, they just think I’m dumb and I can’t differentiate between who’s good or bad.”

“Okay, but what if the bad guys have a leverage? Like, they’d tell you ‘we did you a favor that one time, and if you don’t pay us back, we’ll kill you’?” Benny asked.

“Again, doesn’t work on me. They think I’m stupid. Plus, they think I have no loyalty. How would I return a favor if I don’t side with anyone?” he asked, shrugging.

“He forgot to leave out one thing,” Ethan added. “If he senses there’s trouble, he finds me so I can clean up his mess.”

“That, too,” Rory said, nodding. “By clean up, he means he kills.”

“Yeah, I got that part,” Benny said.  Ethan hid the dagger in his clothes, and asked Benny to keep some weapons in the backpack. “We really need to get you a bag. I mean, I know that you didn’t need one before, but you got weapons, and my grandmother wants any excuse to stuff a shit-ton of food for us.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Ethan said. “Just don’t buy me a big one. I don’t wanna fill it up, then become heavy and slow.” Benny agreed to that. After a bit of banter, the two humans were ready to say goodbye to the vampire. “Okay, _boyfriend_ , ready to go?”

“Wait, E,” he said. “You’re dating?”

He looked at Benny. “I thought the gay vibes were obvious from both of us. Guess not.” He slapped Benny’s arm with the back of his hand. “Hey, be more gay.”

“Excuse me, I’m bi. I’m like, fifty-percent gay.”

Ethan stuck his tongue out like a kid would, then frowned at him. “Stop making me look like a fool. Anyway, we wanted to leave. Stop distracting. Bye, Rory.”

Giggling, Rory said his goodbye as well, then left after he made sure the two humans had gone safely. “So, where to now?” Benny asked.

“Breakfast!” Ethan said enthusiastically. Not only was it good to see how happy Ethan was about breakfast, and to see him happy, but also, Ethan was fuller now! He wasn’t the skinny guy that Benny found anymore. He actually looked healthier. It was nice to know he made some difference in Ethan’s life, even if it wasn’t much.

Breakfast came, then some more vampires did, and the same old routine continued. Except that today had ended differently than it usually did. Normally, vampires looking for Ethan specifically would come and hunt them down. Sometimes other vampires would come, looking for someone to feed on or for someone to turn. Those ‘other vampires’ had made an appearance tonight.

They were a group of girls, all drunk, some more so than others. The loudest and most obnoxious one had come after Ethan. “I’ve been looking for a snack this whole night! Woo, girls! I found one!” Ethan’s shirt was held in her fist, a look of utter disgust on his face. The three other girls “ _woo_ ”ed loudly.

“I did too!” said the closest one to Benny.

“Sorry, ladies. I’m taken,” Benny said. “But hey,” he reached into his pocket. “My knife feels lonely.”

It was a good thing these girls were drunk because their vampire abilities were weakened. They couldn’t run very fast, they couldn’t block Benny well, and they didn’t seem focused, really. Benny had managed to get two killed. The loud girl was still with Ethan, and the fourth and final vampire had fled the scene. She was probably the smartest of the four. Or the least drunk.

Benny looked towards Ethan, who, surprisingly, was on the ground, holding on to his shoulder with a pained expression on his face. There was so much blood soaking his shirt. A lot was spilled on the ground, too. Still, Benny didn’t know how Ethan did it, but he managed to distract the vampire with that wound enough that he was able to drive a stake through her heart.

“Holy shit, she’s crazy,” Ethan breathed out. “She… She…” He seemed so tired. “She d-”

“Let’s get you somewhere safe. Some other vampires might be able to smell your blood if they’re close enough.” He wrapped his arms around Ethan’s waist. Just when he was about to help him up, he heard a voice interrupt him.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Benny turned towards the voice. It was a man, coming from one of the side doors in an alley that belonged to a small house, a woman – maybe his wife – was by the door, a worried expression on her face. “He’s losing a lot of blood. Fast. I think it’s better if we take care of him.”

“I don’t know. We’ve dealt with this bef-”

“My wife’s a nurse. I don’t know how much luckier you guys can get,” the guy said.

Ethan shared a look with Benny, though Ethan’s was with half-lidded eyes. “Fine. We’ll go with them.” If Ethan said so, then Benny would help him get inside this nice couple’s house, even though he knew how Ethan felt about going to people’s houses, and why he felt that way.

Benny carried Ethan with the help of the man to the house. The wife, along with a teenage girl, took Ethan to a separate room while Benny waited with the man in the living room. Benny had sat down, wanting to relax, but he kept tapping hit feet against the floor and fidgeting with his hands.

“You two better be careful next time,” the man said. “You might know how to fight, but you can’t gamble with your life.”

“I know,” he muttered. “We have to do this, though. We have to fight every day. In Whitechapel, either you fight, run, or lose.” Sometimes even with fighting and running, people lost. Lost their lives, lost their humanity. It was a miracle Ethan was alive this long living all by himself with no support.

“I won’t bother asking questions. I mean, we’re strangers to you guys. So, I’ll offer you something to drink. Would you like some water? You look tired,” the man offered.

“Yes, please,” Benny said. The man walked to the open kitchen, then came back within seconds with a glass of water. After thanking the man, Benny drank the water, feeling refreshed.

“May I ask for your name?” the man asked.

Was this a trap? Either way, Benny didn’t care. He was too tired to think properly, anyway. It was nighttime, and he wanted to sleep badly. If only Ethan’s wounds would be treated quickly so that the boys could leave. “It’s Benny.”

“Benny. That name’s kind of familiar,” said the man. “Where have I heard it before?” He put his hand on his chin, thinking about it. Benny opened his mouth, ready to tell him where he _could_ have heard his name, but the man seemed to recall the name before Benny could get the chance to say anything. “Benny Weir. I mean, you could very possibly not be a Weir, but it’s a very small town. It’s my best guess.”

Benny’s face lit up. Wait, this man knew him? But Benny didn’t recognize him. Or maybe he did. It wasn’t a completely strange face. “Yeah, I’m Benny Weir. H-How did you know, sir?”

“We were neighbors! We knew your grandmother well. I mean, before we moved.” He offered a friendly smile. “I’m Ross. Ross Morgan.”

“Oh, yeah! Mr. Morgan! Oh, my God! You’re alive?” he asked. “I honestly thought you guys were dead.”

“We purposefully made it hard for people to find or hear about us,” he said. “We can’t survive any other way. We’re not really fighters like you guys are.”

“Well, it’s nice to see you guys again!” Benny said. He tried to recall the wife’s name. Sam? Something like that? He wasn’t sure. It’s been a while since he’s seen the Morgans that his memories were distorted. He could have sworn, though, that they had a son, not a daughter. Not that he really knew their child or interacted with them, but he remembered a little boy. Not a girl. Maybe he remembered wrong. Or maybe the boy died. He didn’t want to ask. He was scared the latter was true. Or maybe a more pleasant twist would be that the boy moved to a nicer town. Yeah, he liked that alternative.

It seemed like forever before Mrs. Morgan exited the room, but she finally did along with the girl. “He’s passed out on the couch. But he’ll be fine.”

“Mom, do I need to bring anything to the room in case he wakes up?” the teenager asked.

“Yeah. Bring some water and a few things to eat,” Mrs. Morgan said. The girl went to the kitchen and looked for food.

“Honey, guess what?” Ross asked.

“Well, I can’t guess, so what is it?” she asked. Although she seemed tired, too, she still smiled to her husband’s excitement.

“This brave young man is Benny Weir. You know, Evelyn Weir’s grandson!” he said.

She blinked, a bit shocked and silent at first. He lips were parted a few seconds before she started to speak. “What a pleasant surprise!” She sat down by her husband. “How have you been, Benny? How’s your grandmother? It’s been a while since I’ve talked to any of you!”

“We’re both fine,” Benny assured her. “I think my grandma would be happy to hear that you’re alive. She misses everyone.”

“Oh, but it’s better if you don’t tell her about us,” Samantha said, looking at him apologetically. “We’re trying to be as secretive as possible about our situation. I hope you understand.”

He nodded. “Yeah, of course. I understand. I mean, the town’s in chaos, so I get it.”

Samantha let out a sigh, her shoulders, which he didn’t notice were so tight, relaxed. “Thank you.”

Ross stood up. “Well, since your friend is passed out on the couch, I guess you should sleep here until he gets better. We have mattresses, pillows, blankets, whatever you need.”

Benny saw the girl open the door to the room that Ethan was in. Through that door, he could see a small room with a couch, a small coffee table, two chairs, and a bunch of bookcases that were filled with books. On the couch was Ethan, indeed passed out, his shirt off, and his shoulder bandaged. It was a good thing they found Mrs. Morgan, a nurse, because Benny didn’t want Ethan to get an infection. This night was a blessing in disguise. For Benny, at least. For Ethan, not so much.

“If you wanna sleep in the same room as him, we can move aside the table,” Ross offered.

Benny looked at Ross. He felt like he was a burden at the moment to the family. He didn’t want to tire them more than they needed to. Yet, at the moment, he wanted to be by Ethan, to make sure he was fine. “If it’s not too much of a hassle.” He stood up. “Heck, I’ll help you.”

Ross didn’t want Benny’s help at first, but after a bit of convincing, Benny was able to help by moving the table as silently as he could.

In the room, as he waited for the rest of the stuff to come, he looked at Ethan, breathing in and out peacefully, not a wrinkle of a frown on his face. He looked so innocent and unburdened by the weight of the town on his shoulders. Perhaps the only time that Ethan could be Ethan, and not the vampire slayer that the town needed, was during nightly sleeps. Ethan shouldn’t be living this life. He was such a good guy. Why did the world have to punish him from his childhood?

Benny leaned down and kissed Ethan on the forehead. He knew Ethan didn’t feel this kiss – he was unconscious, after all. Still, he needed love and affection, especially in moments like this.

“Oh, sorry,” a voice said. Benny turned his head. It was the girl. She had the mattress in her hand by the door.

“It’s okay,” Benny said.

After he had said that, the girl entered and laid down the mattress. For a moment, her eyes lingered on Ethan. Benny didn’t know what to think of that at first, but he could see the worry in the girl’s eyes. Benny didn’t blame her, really. Ethan was hurt, the girl wasn’t a nurse, and she was there when the wounds were being treated. Benny didn’t know if she was used to being exposed to her mother’s work, but even if she was, that wouldn’t necessarily make her less sympathetic. So, Benny completely understood why she looked so worried.

The pillow and the blanket came afterwards. After the Morgans had wished him goodnight, Benny lied down on the mattress, thinking about the day. He turned to look at Ethan.

 _You’re loved_ , he thought. _You were always loved. That family took you in because they loved you. Your aunt took care of you because she loved you. My grandma loves you like she would with a son. The Morgans let you in because they’re good people who love good people. And I’m here for you. I hope you realize that._ He smiled. _You fuckface._

He didn’t know how much he loved Ethan. They were too early in the relationship for “ _love_ ”, but he guessed he loved Ethan the way any boyfriend would at the beginning of a good, balanced relationship. Benny hoped they would last – that they’d be alive by the end of this journey. He’d be happy. Ethan would probably be happy. And they’d be a force to be reckoned with. Together, they could be strong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you guys go! Wrote this a whole day! Worth it, though. 
> 
> It was a bit cheesy in some parts, but sometimes, I love cheesy scenes. Other than that, I’ve been waiting to write the ending of this chapter for a while! So happy I got to this part, finally!
> 
> But yeah, hope you guys enjoyed this. There’s not a lot left to this story, really. But anyway, leave a review or a comment. Tell me what you guys thought. Did you love it? Did you hate it with a burning sensation? Any constructive criticism? Your feedback is valued by me!
> 
> Until next time!


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